[Mississippi] City of Meridian, County of Lauderdale, and State of Mississippi: Investigation Findings  

On August 10, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice released a findings report regarding their investigation of Lauderdale County Youth Court, Meridian Police Department, and Mississippi Division of Youth Services.  The findings included the following violations: “(1) The City of Meridian Violates the Fourth Amendment by Arresting Children Without Assessing Probable Cause; (2) Lauderdale County and the Youth Court Judges Violate the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments by Failing to Provide Children Procedural Due Process in the Youth Court Process; (3) Lauderdale County, the Youth Court Judges, and the Mississippi Division of Youth Services Violate the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments by Failing to Provide Children Procedural Due Process Rights in the Probationary Process; and (4) The City of Meridian, Lauderdale County, the Youth Court Judges, and the Mississippi Division of Youth Services Violate Children’s Right to Substantive Due Process Under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Related Actions:
[Mississippi] City of Meridian, County of Lauderdale, and State of Mississippi: Complaint
[Mississippi] City of Meridian, County of Lauderdale, and State of Mississippi: City Settlement Agreement
[Mississippi] City of Meridian, County of Lauderdale, and State of Mississippi: State Settlement Agreement