U.S.
Lexington agrees to police reforms and relief from unlawful fines
The Mississippi settlement requires changes to policing and court records; it does not mean every affected record has already been cleared.
By NewsCubby · Published
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Lexington, Mississippi, and its police department have entered an out-of-court agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to address violations identified in a 2024 federal investigation. DOJ announced the settlement October 16.
The agreement requires changes involving fines and fees, bail, stops, searches, arrests and force. It bars quotas or incentives tied to enforcement activity or the revenue it generates, and requires the city to report annually how much of its revenue comes from fines and fees.
For residents facing unlawful fine-based penalties, the document requires the city and police to ask the court to dismiss warrants and expunge convictions covered by the agreement’s Mississippi-law provisions. That obligation is not proof that every affected record has already been cleared.
Police policies, training and supervisory reviews must also be revised. The agreement provides for three years of oversight, with provisions allowing extensions or earlier termination of compliant sections.
This is an out-of-court resolution, not a new criminal conviction or a guarantee of individual compensation. The agreement states that only its parties may enforce it; it does not create a new third-party claim for residents.
Sources and photo credit
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs - United States, City of Lexington and Lexington Police Department — Settlement Agreement
Holmes County Courthouse postcard, Cooper Postcard Collection. Credit: Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Public domain. Historic Lexington courthouse and monument, early twentieth century; exact year unknown. This is geographic archive context, not current police or settlement photography. Crop, text and gradient added; no endorsement implied.