The ACLU of Mississippi joined six other state advocacy organizations and nine national advocacy organizations in an amicus brief advocating for an open and accessible judicial system for Americans with disabilities.
After being unable to serve on a jury in part because of the architecture of the Hinds County Courthouse, plaintiff, who needs a wheelchair to move about, filed suit seeking injunctive relief under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The district court dismissed for lack of standing, holding it was too speculative that plaintiff would, among other things, again be excluded from jury service.
The brief was filed in the Fifth Circuit Court of the U.S. Court of Appeals in support of Dr. Scott Crawford, a resident of Hinds County, and his appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Dr. Crawford uses a wheelchair and seeks access to government buildings in Hinds County, MS.
The Fifth Circuit, ruled in favor of Mr. Crawford and our position, when it reversed and remanded, concluding that plaintiff has standing to seek injunctive relief where he has a substantial risk of being called for jury duty again.
