December 23rd 2023.
The City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi have been embroiled in a heated battle over the creation of the Capitol Complex Improvement District court established by House Bill 1020. The Mississippi Black Caucus protested against this bill, citing the fact that it creates a separate court system and thus, prompting an NAACP lawsuit. This lawsuit states that the appointed judge and two prosecutors without the input of Jackson’s citizens is a reduction in the self-determination of Jackson’s Black residents, and that the Republican-controlled Mississippi Legislature intended to discriminate against Jackson’s majority Black populace.
The Department of Justice has also indicated their interest in joining the case, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division released a statement. She said that the creation of the new court is both racially discriminatory and unconstitutional and that it is “intended to strip power, voice and resources away from Hinds County’s predominantly-Black electorate.”
U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate is set to rule on the injunction sought by the NAACP before HB 1020 goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. He heard arguments from the plaintiffs and defendants and did not say much as both sides made their cases. The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in September 2023 that the court’s creation was allowed under Mississippi’s constitution, but also said that appointing four temporary judges to the court was not a constitutional right.
When Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill in April 2023, he discussed his desire to curb Jackson’s spiraling crime rate through the legislation. Despite his efforts, many are critical of his numbers, including Brannon Miller, who runs a Democratic political consulting firm, Chasm Strategies, based in Mississippi. Miller pointed out that even if you take Jackson out of the statistics, Mississippi would still be No. 2 in murder rate.
Jackson city council members also stood together on Jan 3rd to voice their opposition to the bill. NAACP President and Jackson resident Derrick Johnson, who is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit, welcomes the DOJ’s potential involvement in the lawsuit. He believes that “when our state leaders fail those they are supposed to serve, it is only right that the federal government steps in to ensure that justice is delivered.” With the ruling from Judge Wingate, the outcome of this case will be decided and the fate of HB 1020 will be determined.
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