Montgomery County’s new public defender took on his first slate of cases in Montgomery County Justice Court on Tuesday.
Payne C. Horan, 27, of Grenada has been appointed the new public defender by Circuit Court Judge Joey Loper. Horan takes over the position after Lee Bailey announced his retirement. Bailey served as public defender for 30 years and was one of the longest serving public defenders in the state.
Horan is a criminal lawyer and is no stranger to Montgomery County has he’s tried several cases. Horan works with his father Kevin Horan, where he’s a partner at Horan and Horan Law Firm in Grenada. Horan has also served as the attorney for Carroll-Montgomery Regional Correctional Facility and has sat in on the Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting when his father couldn’t.
Winona Board of Aldermen hired Horan as the city’s public defender during a regular meeting on Tuesday.
Horan graduated from Grenada High School in 2013 and from the University of Mississippi in 2017 with a Bachelors of Business Administation in Banking and Finance and Mangerial Finance. In 2020, Horan graduated with his juris doctorate from the University of Misssissippi School of Law.
“I am very appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to serving the citizens of the City of Winona and Montgomery County,” Horan said.
Horan and his wife Mackenzie MacAlphin-Horan have two dogs, a lab named Zoe and a pomeranian named Mila.
Horan takes on his first slate of cases as City of Winona public defender today in Winona Municipal Court.
