A federal appeals court recently ruled against the NAACP, giving permission to Mississippi officials to continue creating a new state-run court in a majority-Black capital.
Announced on Thursday, three judges in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided to block the NAACP’s appeal attempt against the creation of the new court by majority-Republican state legislators.
With the new court initially planned to take effect on Jan. 1 in the area of Jackson that features both residential and state government buildings, conservatives-including the Republican Gov. Tate Reeves-claim that it’ll control crime in the area.
Although the judges were previously elected by city officials, the change to the system means that the judges no longer need to be citizens of the city of Jackson to serve on the court. With the decision now expected to be made under the state Supreme Court chief justice and the prosecutors selected by the state attorney general, the newest judges are expected to be white and conservative.
The implementation of the newest court also means that, while they should be held in a local jail under municipal court rulings, those convicted will now be held in the larger state prison. Under the same law that put this newest system into place, Capitol Police will unnecessarily be sent to patrol downtown Jackson.
Despite the latest decision, NAACP officials say that they’ll continue to fight the new court system.
“The NAACP is profoundly disappointed by today’s ruling,” said the general counsel for the NAACP, Janette McCarthy Wallace, per AP News. “Despite any obstacles we may face, the fight continues. Our case will proceed, with more briefing and arguments to come. The NAACP remains committed to upholding democracy and putting power back in the hands of Jackson residents.”
Recently, the NAACP has filed multiple lawsuits against Republicans, particularly when it comes to voting rights.
Filed alongside Common Cause, the NAACP recently took legal action against the Republicans in charge of the North Carolina legislature as their new congressional and state maps were found to be discriminatory against Black voters.
According to the group, Black voters are being discriminated against as Republicans are using the map to create new districts to swing the state in favor of the GOP Party.
“Ahead of the 2024 Elections, NAACP is working tirelessly to ensure that every American has the opportunity to cast an effective ballot. These discriminatory maps are a clear attack on those efforts,” said the Vice President of Campaigns at NAACP, Dominik Whitehead, per a press release. “We are proud to stand alongside our North Carolina State Conference and fellow advocates as we fight back against any attempt to silence Black voices. This is just the beginning.”
