DOJ reaches settlement with Mississippi police department it found routinely violated civil rights
The agreement requires Lexington to revise policies on stops, searches, arrests, fines and fees after federal investigators found pattern-or-practice violations.
- On Friday, the Justice Department announced an out-of-court settlement with Lexington, Mississippi, requiring the city to reform police practices regarding fines, bail, and use of force to address systemic civil rights violations.
- This agreement follows a 2024 report revealing the Lexington Police Department routinely violated civil rights by targeting Black residents, using excessive force, and jailing citizens for unpaid fines without assessing their ability to pay.
- Investigators found the department made one arrest for every four people in town, more than 10 times the Mississippi average, and the city court issued arrest warrants for more than 650 people for unpaid fines.
- Under the three-year agreement, the city must dismiss warrants for unpaid fees, expunge unlawful convictions, and implement DOJ-approved training on stops, searches, and arrests to ensure compliance with federal law.
- U.S. Attorney Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi stated the reforms aim to "strengthen public trust" and promote practices that respect the dignity of every person in the community.
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DOJ reaches settlement with Mississippi police department it found rou
FILE - A Lexington, Miss., police cruiser is parked outside their facility near the town square, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. The Lexington police department unconstitutionally jailed people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they could afford to pay them, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Associated Press News
DOJ reaches settlement with Mississippi police department it found routinely violated civil rights
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it reached a settlement forcing reforms for a Mississippi city and its police department, which the DOJ found discriminated against Black people, used excessive force and retaliated against critics.
City In Mississippi And DOJ Reach Settlement To Overhaul Local Police Practices
The City of Lexington, Mississippi, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to overhaul local policing and court practices following a federal civil rights investigation. Federal officials announced the agreement after a September 26, 2024, findings report concluded that the Lexington Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of civil […] City In Mississippi And DOJ Reach Settlement To Overhaul Local P…
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