(AP) — A Mississippi judge has dismissed one lawsuit that challenges a new law dealing with appointment of judges in the majority-Black capital city of Jackson and the surrounding county, but a separate lawsuit remains alive in federal court. In the ruling Monday, Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas wrote that appointing judges does not violate the Mississippi Constitution. Three Jackson residents testified to Thomas last week that the new law tramples their rights because most Mississippi judges are elected. Local residents protested that state officials were usurping power in Jackson and Hinds County, which are majority-Black and governed by Democrats. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate temporarily blocked the appointment of four judges for Hinds County Circuit Court.

Source: The Star May 16, 2023 04:22 UTC