Judge sets hearing on DPPJ election injunction request

MANSFIELD, La. – A hearing will be held in two weeks to determine if the the DeSoto Police Jury’s fall elections will be delayed.

U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph on Tuesday set a hearing for 1:30 p.m. July 11 on whether to grant a preliminary injunction. He’s set aside through July 13 should more time be needed for each side to present its evidence.

A dozen DeSoto Parish residents who are opposed to the Police Jury’s new redistricting plan sued the parish last month in federal court. They also asked for an injunction to stop the election until the matter is settled.

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.