Lexington, Mississippi, has agreed to change police practices governing fines, release from custody, searches and use of force under an out-of-court settlement with the US Justice Department.
Announced on October 16, the agreement follows the department’s 2024 findings that the police department engaged in a pattern or practice of civil-rights violations. Those findings were the agency’s conclusions, not a new judicial determination announced with the settlement.
The city and police department are to amend policies on fines and fees, bail and release criteria, and potential conflicts of interest. They must also revise practices for stops, searches, arrests and force, including how officers report those activities and how they are reviewed.
Federal investigators began their inquiry in March 2023 under the statute authorising action against systemic constitutional violations by state and local police.
The announced resolution is an agreement outside court, not a court-entered consent decree. The Justice Department says it will work with the city and police department on implementation.
