Litigation

S.B. 2343 makes peaceful protests on public sidewalks and streets next to state government buildings in Jackson, Mississippi, illegal without receiving prior written permission from one of two government officials – a clear violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The MacArthur Justice Center is fighting alongside communities to ensure the right to peacefully gather and protest is preserved as a democratic pillar and constitutional right.

H.B. 1020 is radical legislation that unconstitutionally packs the Hinds County Circuit Court and a sweeping effort to disempower voters in majority-Black Hinds County from choosing their own local judges. The MacArthur Justice Center is fighting alongside communities whose state legislators are unconstitutionally robbing them of political self-determination, particularly within the criminal legal system.

Following a community-led class action lawsuit, the City of Jackson has agreed to submit to federal court enforcement of the settlement. The consent decree, prohibits the use of roadblocks for general crime control, requires roadblocks to be evenly distributed across Jackson, specifies the limited circumstances under which people may be arrested at a roadblock, and addresses practical issues such as the towing and retrieval of cars.

Alongside a coalition of advocates, we have urged the Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Office of the Inspector General to take measures to mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak at the Adams County Detention Center in Mississippi, which is recklessly endangering the lives of hundreds of people. On May 12,...

In January 2020, the MacArthur Justice Center and a coalition of civil rights organizations sent a Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (“CRIPA”) Complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the thousands of Mississippians who are currently incarcerated in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (“MDOC”) and their family members,...

Wayne Johnson was incarcerated at the Kemper Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility for failure to pay fines owed to the Meridian, Mississippi Municipal Court. Despite being sentenced to only two days in jail, Mr. Johnson was detained for more than 50 days. Kemper County, Sheriff James Moore, and five correctional officers have been sued by the...

Joey Chandler committed murder in 2003, when he was 17. He is currently in prison in Mississippi, serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole. If any juvenile offender can demonstrate rehabilitation, it is Joey Chandler. His disciplinary record over more than a decade of his incarceration has been virtually spotless. He has availed...

Jerrard Cook was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a crime he committed soon while seventeen years old. We argue in the Supreme Court of the United States that Mr. Cook should be resentenced to life in prison—but with the possibility of parole—because every juvenile, even those convicted of serious crimes, have the potential for rehabilitation and a productive, meaningful life. In fact, a court-appointed forensic psychologist testified that Mr. Cook “did not appear to be one of those . . . rare offenders who couldn’t be rehabilitated.”

The MacArthur Justice Center, in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), filed a federal class action lawsuit targeting the City of Corinth, Mississippi for operating a modern-day debtors’ prison, unlawfully jailing poor people for their inability to pay bail and fines. As a result of the settlement, the City will ensure that defendants arrested without a warrant see a judge within 48 hours, will stop jailing defendants who cannot afford to pay a fine or money bail, will release most people on their own recognizance following arrest, and will allow defendants who are unable to pay their fine in full to choose between a $25 monthly payment plan and community service.

In August 2016, a young African-American woman was traveling through Pearl, Mississippi while looking for employment. She was a passenger in a friend’s car, and her baby rode with them in a car seat. When the car was stopped for a minor traffic violation, it was discovered that both adults had outstanding warrants for routine...