DOJ reaches settlement with Lexington over police civil rights violations

The Justice Department announced Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, an out-of-court settlement with Lexington, Mississippi, and its police department requiring reforms after a 2024 report found a pattern of civil rights violations. The probe began in March 2023; the report, released Feb. 29, 2024, found more than 650 arrest warrants for unpaid fines—roughly half the population—and that from 2022 to 2024 police made one arrest for every four residents, more than 10 times the state per-capita rate. Lexington is rural, poor, and majority-Black, about 65 miles north of Jackson. The agreement bars jailing for unpaid fines without an ability-to-pay assessment, citing the Fourteenth Amendment; requires dismissal of unlawful fine-related warrants and expungement of related convictions; and prohibits quotas or incentives tied to stops, citations, arrests, or revenue. Reforms also cover bail and release, conflicts of interest, stops, searches, arrests, use of force, and reporting and review. U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger said the reforms seek to address investigation concerns, strengthen public trust, and promote practices that respect the rights and dignity of every person. The deal lasts three years and may be shortened or extended on mutual compliance findings. Contested: none found. The Associated Press sought comment from city and police officials and got no immediate response. What comes next is DOJ work with the city on compliance under the three-year term.