Several DeSoto County residents, including Supervisor Robert Foster, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of majority-Black subdistricts established by the Mississippi Legislature for the state judiciary. The lawsuit, filed against the State Board of Election Commissioners, contends that House Bill 1544 and Senate Bill 2768 violate the Voting Rights Act by creating racially motivated and discriminatory districts.
The plaintiffs argue that while the Legislature redrew court districts, including adding judgeships for Circuit Court and Chancery Court in DeSoto County, these positions must be elected from majority-Black subdistricts. The lawsuit asserts that this practice denies voters in DeSoto County the right to vote based on race and treats citizens unequally.
State Sen. Mike McLendon expressed support for the lawsuit, stating that DeSoto County was "singled out" by "bad legislation" designed to limit residents' ability to vote for judges who oversee the entire county. A subdistrict is a designated area within a larger judicial district from which a judge is elected, though the judge retains authority over cases throughout the entire district.
Legislative leaders redrew court districts in 2025 to account for population changes and caseload data. The creation of majority-Black subdistricts in certain areas was intended to provide Black voters with a greater opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. This practice of establishing judicial subdistricts originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, partly at the initiative of former state Rep. Ed Blackmon Jr., who stated it would not displace incumbent judges and would provide judges with more resources.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock, who previously ruled that Mississippi’s state Supreme Court districts violated the Voting Rights Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals overturned that ruling based on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which altered protections for minority voters during redistricting. Judge Aycock is currently assessing how that decision impacts the current case.
The DeSoto County plaintiffs have requested that Judge Aycock block the map from taking effect. A hearing is scheduled for July 22, with a decision likely needed before judicial elections in November.