Federal judge rules Mississippi Supreme Court districts dilute Black vote, must be redrawn
Aycock said the map, which was enacted in 1987, violates the Voting Rights Act and cannot be used in future elections.
Mississippi law establishes three distinct Supreme Court districts, commonly referred to as the Northern, Central and Southern districts. Voters elect three judges from each of those districts to make up the nine-member court. The districts have not been redrawn since 1987.
Aycock's ruling notes that only four Black people have served on the Mississippi Supreme Court. All of them held the same seat in the Central District and were first appointed to the position by a sitting governor.
"In short, the evidence illustrates that Black candidates who desire to run for the Mississippi Supreme Court face a grim likelihood of success," Aycock wrote in her ruling.
The ruling came after the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union and others brought a lawsuit against the state in April 2022, arguing that the current district boundaries "severely diluted the voting strength of Black residents in state Supreme Court elections, in violation of the Voting Rights Act."
"This win corrects a historic injustice," Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said via press release. "All Mississippians will benefit from fair district lines that give Black voters an equal voice — and new generations of Black leaders an equal chance to help shape the state's future by serving on the state's highest court."
The Mississippi Legislature will be tasked with implementing the court's order by drawing new district lines.
Earlier this year, when lawmakers gaveled in on Jan. 7, they had to come up with, lobby for and pass a revised state legislative redistricted map. The proposal later gained approval from a panel of three federal judges, requiring the state to host 15 special elections for legislative seats this November.
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Supreme Court districts violates Voting Rights Act, judge says
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