"Controversy and Delays Surround Proposed State-Run Court in Mississippi's Majority-Black Capital"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by ABC News
Mississippi's plan to establish a state-run court system in the majority-Black city of Jackson, which would be staffed by unelected judges and prosecutors, has sparked controversy and legal challenges. Critics, including the city's mayor and civil rights organizations like the NAACP, argue that the law, passed by a majority-white and Republican-controlled legislature, infringes on Black residents' constitutional rights to vote for local officials and imposes an unequal justice system. While proponents claim the move aims to address crime and judicial backlog, opponents see it as oppressive and racially targeted. The law's enforcement has been temporarily blocked by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals pending appeal, despite a federal judge's initial decision to allow its creation.