Filed Date: May 26, 2015
Closed Date: April 14, 2016
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This is a case about challenging the constitutionality of the Mississippi’s Voter I.D. statute. On May 26, 2015, a resident in Hinds County, City of Jackson, MS filed this lawsuit against the Chairman of the Hinds County Election Commission in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division. The case was assigned to the United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves.
According to the Complaint, the resident in Hinds County, City of Jackson sued Hinds County pursuant to 42 USC Section 1983 and 42 USC Section 1973, alleging violations of the Fourteenth Amendment. As a pro se plaintiff, the resident in Hinds County, City of Jackson sought judgement for: injunctive relief compelling Hinds County to allow him to vote in all upcoming 2015 and 2016 elections; an order directing his registration not to be purged from voter rolls; an order prohibiting the application of MS voter identification laws since it does not require absentee voter to present identification to vote; and any other relief as the court deems just. The resident in Hinds County, City of Jackson’s claims arose out of his not being allowed to vote in the State of Mississippi due to a prior felony conviction. In addition, he claimed that Mississippi’s Voter I.D. statute violated the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiff asserted that he had been wrongfully barred from voting legally, and that Mississippi’s Voter I.D. statute denied him equal protection of the laws in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment because it did not require absentee, mail-in voters to present voter identification and disproportionately affected African Americans, diluting the Black vote in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
On January 15, 2016, Hinds County filed a motion to dismiss.
On April 14, 2016, the court issued an order. According to the order, the plaintiff failed to appear for the telephonic case management conference and the court entered a show cause order that was mailed to his address in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition, the plaintiff filed a change of address and the show cause order was resent to the updated address; however, he failed to respond to the show cause order by the deadline. In a further attempt to give the plaintiff an opportunity to avoid dismissal of his claims, the magistrate judge entered a report and recommendation on March 21, 2016 and gave the parties 10 days to file any objections. A copy of the report was mailed to the plaintiff at the address listed on the docket sheet, but he did not file any objections. Based on the foregoing, it was ordered that the magistrate judge's recommendation to dismiss all claims for failure to prosecute was adopted as the finding of this Court.
Summary Authors
Tatsushi Nishizaki (2/14/2024)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4302467/parties/carpenter-v-chairman-hinds-county-election-commission/
Reeves, Carlton Wayne (Mississippi)
Carpenter, Quincey B. (Mississippi)
Allen, William Robert (Mississippi)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4302467/carpenter-v-chairman-hinds-county-election-commission/
Last updated Jan. 30, 2025, 2:33 p.m.
State / Territory: Mississippi
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: May 26, 2015
Closing Date: April 14, 2016
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
A resident in Hinds County, City of Jackson
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Issues
Voting: