Schulte Amicus Brief on Mississippi House Bill 1020 Makes an Impact

In an 8-0 decision last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a provision of HB 1020 that, in part, strips Hinds County residents of their constitutionally protected right to elect their judges.

In June 2023, Schulte Roth & Zabel, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Mississippi Votes, filed an amicus brief in the case arguing that a provision of the law violated the state constitution by allowing the appointment, rather than the election, of “temporary special circuit judges” in the Seventh Circuit Court District for nearly the full term of duly elected judges. The court adopted this argument in the opinion.

Read the SPLC press release here.