The NAACP is suing Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) after he signed two bills opposed by Jackson lawmakers and residents that give state officials more control over law enforcement in the state’s capital.
that Jackson had the highest homicide rate per capita in the country in 2021. About a quarter of its residents live in poverty, among the highest rates for American cities with more than 100,000 residents.Reeves, who did not respond to a request for comment from The Post by late Saturday, said the bills strengthened Jackson’s public safety.
“The fact is that Jackson has so much potential. It is our capital city and the heart of our state. It is where I have lived for over one-third of my life,” Reeves said in the Friday news release. “But Jackson has to be better. Downtown Jackson should be so safe that it is a magnet for talented young people to come and live and work and create.”
The NAACP disagrees, arguing in the 52-page lawsuit that the bills are a regression in the state and seek to remove the rights of Jackson’s residents. The bills, the lawsuit argues, create a new court with an unelected judge appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which will have the ability to hear and determine all preliminary matters and criminal matters within the district.The lawsuit also names as defendants Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Randolph, Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell and Mississippi Capitol Police Chief Bo Luckey.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who in the past had called one of the bills “plantation politics,” did not immediately respond to a message from The Post seeking comment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NAACP sues after Mississippi expands control over law enforcement in JacksonTwo new state bills that Gov. Tate Reeves signed into on Friday are discriminatory because they focus only on Jackson, a majority-Black city, the NAACP said.
Read more »
Ohio State Tops No. 1 Seed Ball State for MIVA Men's Volleyball Tournament ChampionshipOhio State cruised past No. 1 seed Ball State, 27-25, 25-17, 19-25, and 25-19 to claim the 2023 MIVA Men's Volleyball Tournament Championship.
Read more »
NAACP sues Mississippi over 'separate and unequal policing'The NAACP warns that “separate and unequal policing” will return to Mississippi’s majority-Black capital under a state-run police department, and the civil rights organization is suing the governor and other officials over it. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves says violent crime in Jackson has made it necessary to expand where the Capitol Police can patrol and to authorize some appointed rather than elected judges. “In certain areas of Jackson, a citizen can be arrested by a police department led by a State-appointed official, be charged by a State-appointed prosecutor, be tried before a State-appointed judge, and be sentenced to imprisonment in a State penitentiary regardless of the severity of the act,” the lawsuit says.
Read more »
NAACP files lawsuit after Mississippi governor signs legislation expanding state control over Jackson's judicial system and policing | CNNThe NAACP filed a lawsuit Friday to challenge new legislation signed by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves that expands the state's law enforcement reach in the city of Jackson and implements major changes to its judicial system.
Read more »
NAACP sues Mississippi over 'separate and unequal policing'The NAACP warns that “separate and unequal policing” will return to Mississippi’s majority-Black capital under a state-run police department. The civil rights organization is suing the governor and other officials over it. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves says violent crime in Jackson has made it necessary to expand where Capitol Police can patrol and to authorize some appointed rather than elected judges. But the NAACP says in its lawsuit filed late Friday that these are serious violations of the principle of self-government because they take control of the police and some courts out of the hands of residents.
Read more »
NAACP sues Mississippi over 'separate and unequal policing'The NAACP warns that “separate and unequal policing” will return to Mississippi’s majority-Black capital under a state-run police department, and the civil rights organization is suing the governor and other officials over it.
Read more »