A federal judge has denied an immediate request to block the implementation of majority-Black judicial subdistricts in DeSoto County, Mississippi, just months before a scheduled election. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled on Thursday that altering district lines so close to the November election would be inappropriate, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
"The Plaintiffs have not provided sufficient evidence to justify this Court’s involvement," Aycock stated in her ruling.
The lawsuit was filed by DeSoto County residents, including former Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster, who contend that the state Legislature’s creation of these subdistricts for judicial races violates the Voting Rights Act. The suit followed the Supreme Court's decision in May in Louisiana v. Callais, which altered protections for minority voters in redistricting cases.
Plaintiffs argue that when the Legislature redrew court districts, it added a circuit judge and a chancery judge to DeSoto County. However, these judges are now required to be elected from majority-Black subdistricts. A subdistrict is a smaller area within a larger judicial district from which a judge is elected, though the judge retains the ability to hear cases from across the entire district.
The lawsuit names the State Board of Election Commissioners, comprised of Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, Secretary of State Michael Watson, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch, as defendants.
Attorneys for the DeSoto County residents did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a spokesperson for Fitch’s office declined to comment.
Although Aycock denied the request to prevent the subdistricts from taking effect, the underlying litigation will continue. The judge may order the parties to submit further briefs and evidence before issuing a final ruling on the full case.