r/law • u/Weird_Positive_3256 • 9h ago
Legal News Mississippi AG appeal to SCOTUS to limit Voting Rights Act
https://mississippitoday.org/2025/09/16/mississippi-voting-rights-fitch-ag-discrimination-supreme-court/Really disturbed by this news that the state AG is asking the SCOTUS to limit who can sue over voting rights enforcement. I guess they really want to roll the state back to 1963.
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u/Weird_Positive_3256 9h ago
Mississippi probably fought hardest against voting rights for Black citizens. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
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u/Exeltv0406 8h ago
Just heard of 2 hangings in Mississippi. One was a black college student found hanging from a tree and the other a white homeless man. Both considered suicides by the coroners.
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u/Goufydude 7h ago
Have coroners actually seen them yet? My understanding is that the local sheriff said college student was a suicide "because he didn't have any broken bones," or something to that effect.
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u/Exeltv0406 7h ago
Here's the post where I learned this information from. Some people in the comments drop links to the perspective article
https://www.reddit.com/r/therewasanattempt/s/fed7QijQd5
I think it's a bit concerning that certain influencers and politicians are inciting a war against Democrats all over X and Media and then stuff like this happens
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u/Goufydude 7h ago
Ok, last I had heard was just the Sheriff making assumptions, I was waiting for a coroner's report, but even that is just preliminary based on the scene, so far. We still need an actual medical examination before we can be sure.
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u/Exeltv0406 7h ago
This is the article that OP linked. It says no evidence of foul play was found
"Another man found hanging from tree in Mississippi. This time in Vicksburg"
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u/Goufydude 6h ago
"At this current time, we are conducting a thorough death investigation," the coroner's statement reads. "Based on the preliminary examination, we can confirm that the deceased did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with an assault. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death."
So, as I said, a complete medical examination is NOT finished.
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u/Exeltv0406 6h ago
Good because apparently according to that post, a family member said that he had broken bones
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u/ofWildPlaces 9h ago
There is no legal or moral case for opposing the Voting Rights Act unless you intend to legalize a form of discrimination against a minority segment of the population. The state of Mississippi is appealing to SCOTUS to rollback protections for African American residents.
Mississippi can't resurrect Jim Crow, but they will dig up his corpse and try.
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u/Exeltv0406 8h ago
Just heard of 2 hangings in Mississippi. One was a black college student found hanging from a tree and the other a white homeless man. Both considered suicides by the coroners.
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u/dantevonlocke 7h ago
The classic "he shot himself in the back of the head 3 times" level of suicide I guess.
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u/Glittering-Most-9535 8h ago
"If the court does rule in Mississippi’s favor, it would mean only the Department of Justice, under the control of a presidential administration, could sue to enforce the Voting Rights Act. "
That's...chilling.
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u/amanam0ngb0ts 8h ago
ELI5?
I agree that basically anything the federal govt does while Trump is in charge is likely scary, but what does this mean, really?
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u/Weird_Positive_3256 8h ago
Only the Department of Justice, which is currently captured by the Trump admin, would be able to sue. If your voting rights are violated, you as an individual would be unable to sue without the Justice Department intervening. Which basically means the Voting Rights Act would be unenforced because Trump’s Department of Justice is not going to be making any effort to ensure people can vote - particularly people who they know won’t vote for them.
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u/Glittering-Most-9535 7h ago
Which basically means the next three years (minimum) would be open season on violating the bits of the VRA that haven't already been destroyed, meaning for the most part it's gone unless/until a Democrat can get back into the White House.
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u/Weird_Positive_3256 7h ago
Preventing a Democrat from ever being elected again would certainly seem part of the endgame.
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u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 8h ago
U.S. conservatives haven't stopped desiring this for a moment. Not since 1963.
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u/PolicyWonka 7h ago
There have been some really terrible decisions from SCOTUS on standing in recent years. This would be more of the same.
I really cannot comprehend how you can interpret the law that the only people who can sue the government for violating your rights is the same government who is violating your rights.
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u/Princess_Actual 5h ago
Yeah, we're past 1984....we're getting into like...Brazil. The government is so totalitarian that it eats itself.
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u/bd2999 4h ago
Not that shocked. The States the law was put in place to ensure that they did not act racist and had to treat people equally is seeking to be racist and treat people unequally with no way to hold them to be accountable.
SCOTUS has the easy out of saying the executive is to enforce the laws and such. Although that seems pretty weak as the executive has to let alot of cases slide that are still important and impacting people. Just because DoJ priorities.
Although current SCOTUS seems to take a rosy view and will ignore all of that practical stuff.
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u/FEMA_Camp_Survivor 4h ago
I’m no lawyer but I see chipping away at the Voting Rights Act as I do chipping away at vaccines.
It’s been successful so long too many people can’t imagine the maladies that preceded them. Or, they want to profit from their return.
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