Current:Home > FinanceMississippi high court blocks appointment of some judges in majority-Black capital city and county-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Mississippi high court blocks appointment of some judges in majority-Black capital city and county
View Date:2024-12-23 18:36:03
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday struck down part of a state law that would have authorized some circuit court judges to be appointed rather than elected in the capital city of Jackson and the surrounding county, which are both majority-Black.
Critics said the law was an effort by the majority-white Legislature to stomp on voting rights and to treat Jackson and Hinds County residents unfairly in a state where most judges are elected.
In the ruling, justices affirmed a part of the law that creates a new court to hear misdemeanor cases in a part of Jackson that includes the state Capitol and other state government buildings.
Justices said the Mississippi Constitution allows legislators to create “inferior” courts, and the new Capitol Complex Improvement District court would have the same powers as a municipal court, with the CCID judge appointed by the state’s chief justice. The ruling also made clear that people will have a right to appeal decisions made by the new court.
Jackson residents who sued to challenge the law issued statements Thursday praising the Supreme Court decision.
“As a citizen of Jackson who has traced my family’s documented presence in Mississippi back to 1855, I am grateful for the clarity of the state constitution regarding the election of circuit court judges, and I am grateful for the Justices affirming that constitutional requirement,” Ann Saunders said.
Another plaintiff, Dorothy Triplett, said state leaders should work with the city of Jackson rather than attempt a “hostile takeover” of citizens’ rights.
“My hope is that today’s ruling will convince legislators that the people of Jackson aren’t just going to roll over when targeted, especially when fundamental principles of our democracy are attacked,” Triplett said.
Legislators voted this year to expand the territory of the state-run Capitol Police department in Jackson, to create the new court and to authorize the appointment of four circuit judges in Hinds County. Supporters said they were trying to improve safety in the city of about 150,000 residents, which has had more than 100 homicides in each of the past three years.
Opponents said the Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Tate Reeves were usurping local autonomy in Jackson and Hinds County, which are governed by Democrats.
Circuit judges hear criminal cases for felonies such as murder and aggravated assault. They also hear civil lawsuits. The law said the temporary circuit judges would be appointed by the chief justice to serve through 2026, which is most of the four-year term served by the elected judges.
Justices noted in the ruling Thursday that a longstanding Mississippi law allows the chief justice to appoint some justices for specific reasons, such as to deal with a backlog of cases. But they wrote that “we see nothing special or unique” about the four appointed Hinds County circuit judges in the law this year, “certainly nothing expressly tethering them to a specific judicial need or exigency.”
Although race has been a big part of legislative and public debate about the law, it was not a central issue during the Supreme Court arguments.
Chief Justice Mike Randolph recused himself from hearing the case because the lawsuit originally named him as one of the defendants.
In May, Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas dismissed the Jackson residents’ lawsuit days after he removed Randolph as a defendant. Thomas wrote that appointing judges does not violate the Mississippi Constitution.
A federal lawsuit filed by the NAACP challenges the appointment of judges and the expansion of the state police role in Jackson, arguing that the law creates “separate and unequal policing” for the city compared to other parts of Mississippi. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate temporarily put the law on hold, which has blocked Randolph from appointing the four temporary circuit court judges. Wingate also wrote that: “Jackson has a crime cancer.”
veryGood! (16845)
Related
- Utah AD Mark Harlan rips officials following loss to BYU, claims game was 'stolen from us'
- Alabama governor issues statewide no-burn order because of drought conditions
- Gas prices are plunging below $3 a gallon in some states. Here's what experts predict for the holidays.
- Former NFL Player Matt Ulrich Dead at 41
- Police capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway
- Candidate who wouldn’t denounce Moms for Liberty chapter after Hitler quote wins Indiana mayor race
- 2 more endangered Florida panthers struck and killed by vehicles, wildlife officials say
- GM recalls nearly 1,000 Cruise AVs across nation after robotaxi dragged pedestrian
- 'Gladiator 2' review: Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel
- A November meteor shower could be spectacular. Here's when to watch and where to look.
Ranking
- Princess Kate makes rare public appearance after completing cancer chemo
- Texas inmate who says death sentence based on false expert testimony faces execution
- Israel says it will maintain “overall security responsibility” for Gaza. What might that look like?
- How Joan Kroc’s surprise $1.8 billion gift to the Salvation Army transformed 26 communities
- Jax Taylor Breaks Silence on Brittany Cartwright Dating His Friend Amid Their Divorce
- Jeff Bezos' new home 'Billionaire Bunker' island outside Miami has a rich history ‒ literally
- UN nuclear chief says nuclear energy must be part of the equation to tackle climate change
- Will stocks trade on Veterans Day? Here's the status of financial markets on the holiday
Recommendation
-
Taylor Swift drops Christmas merchandise collection, including for 'Tortured Poets' era
-
Fossil fuel interests have large, yet often murky, presence at climate talks, AP analysis finds
-
Ivanka Trump called to stand to testify today in New York fraud trial
-
Virginia Democrats sweep legislative elections, delivering a blow Gov. Glenn Youngkin's plan for a GOP trifecta
-
NATO’s Rutte calls for more Western support for Ukraine, warns of Russian alliances
-
The Organization of American States warns Nicaragua it will keep watching even as the country exits
-
Lori Harvey, Damson Idris reportedly split: 'We part ways remaining friends'
-
Man convicted in wedding shooting plays his rap music as part of insanity defense