Federal judge denies DeSoto Police Jury election delay; lawsuit still pending

SHREVEPORT, La. – This fall’s elections for DeSoto Police Jury are on track after a federal judge on Wednesday refused to put them on hold amid a dispute about the parish’s redistricting plan.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph denied a request from a group of DeSoto Parish voters to stop the election until their lawsuit challenging the reapportionment plan is settled. The voters accused police jurors of gerrymandering newly drawn election district lines based on race.

Joseph denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction following a two-day hearing.

“This clears the way for the October election to go forward with plan H revised,” said the Police Jury’s attorney, Carroll Devillier of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson LLP in Baton Rouge.

However, the issue is not over. Joseph ordered the plaintiffs and the Police Jury to contact the magistrate’s office to set a conference to determine a trial date on the permanent injunctions. Then the court will issue a scheduling order for court proceedings.

As far as next steps, that ball is in the plaintiffs’ court, Devillier said of the two-step process.

A permanent injunction will include a trial on the merits of the plaintiffs’ complaint and the presentation of more evidence.

Shreveport attorney Reid Jones, who is representing the plaintiffs along with a Washington, D.C., law firm, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

The Police Jury will hold an executive session Monday to discuss the still pending lawsuit.

The plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit contend the police jurors gerrymandered the 11 election district lines according to race. They allege police jurors did not take into consideration the vast growth in north DeSoto Parish. Instead, the plan retained five majority-Black districts in Mansfield, which has lost considerable population, according to the 2020 census count.

The Police Jury’s demographer, however, said police jurors chose from multiple maps prepared for them. He said the plan they selected is “bullet-proof” and meets requirements of the Voting Rights Act.  

Qualifying for the Police Jury’s fall elections is Aug. 8-10, with the election on Oct. 14.