The Mississippi Supreme Court has approved a motion to expedite the appeal process in the HB1020 lawsuit. The three plaintiffs, all residents of Jackson, appealed the case to the state's highest court after a Hinds County judge dismissed the case earlier this month.
HB1020, set to go into effect on July 1, would create a new judicial district in the whiter, more affluent areas of Jackson. The bill, envisioned as a vehicle for tackling Jackson's high rate of violent crime, orders Chief Justice Michael Randolph Chief to appoint four circuit court judges for the new judicial district.
Ann Saunders, a 72-year-old resident of Jackson and plaintiff in the case, said during the original hearing that HB1020 violates her constitutional right to elect her circuit court judges.
"I feel like I'm being dealt an injustice," Saunders said. "I'm being treated like something other than a citizen of the state of Mississippi. Someone who doesn't have the same rights as my fellow citizens."
The Mississippi State Constitution states that circuit judges are to be elected, though there have been examples of judges being appointed on a temporary basis by the Chief Justice.
Tanner Lockhead, a litigation fellow at the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, says the language is plain their case is strong.
“We feel confident that the law is certainly on our side," Lockhead said. "And we feel confident that the plaintiffs were able to explain and articulate the significance of the right to vote and the importance of adhering to the plain meaning of the state constitution. We feel confident that if we get a fair shake, we should win."
The court expects to hear oral arguments on July 6. It is still unclear if Chief Justice Randolph, a defendant in the lawsuit, will recuse himself from the case.
