DOJ reaches settlement with Lexington over police civil rights violations

The Justice Department reached an out-of-court settlement with Lexington, Mississippi, requiring the city and its police department to overhaul practices after a federal investigation found a pattern of civil rights violations, including discrimination against Black residents, excessive force and retaliation against critics. The reforms cover fines, fees, bail and release criteria, potential conflicts of interest, stops, searches, arrests, use of force, and how officers’ actions are reported and reviewed. The agreement bars jailing people for unpaid fines without assessing their ability to pay, requires dismissal of unlawful fine-related warrants and expungement of related convictions, and prohibits quotas or incentives tied to enforcement and revenue. The settlement follows a 2024 report that found the city had issued more than 650 arrest warrants for unpaid fines, roughly half the population of Lexington.