DeSoto County Judicial Map Lawsuit | Jackson News

DeSoto County residents, including former gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster, are suing over newly redrawn judicial subdistricts that they say violate the Voting Rights Act by creating majority-Black districts tied to judicial appointments — a move they call racially motivated and mathematically flawed. The lawsuit targets the State Board of Election Commissioners and argues the map unfairly disenfranchises three out of four county residents based on race. State Senator Mike McLendon backs the challenge, calling it a targeted effort to limit voting access. Though judicial subdistricts have existed for decades to balance caseloads and resources — originally championed by former legislator Ed Blackmon Jr. — the 2025 redistricting introduced these racially concentrated districts, sparking legal action. The case now rests before U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock, who must decide by July 22 whether to block the map ahead of November’s elections. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b9d7ec795ec0b418