The state's felon disenfranchisement policy has been shown to have a disproportionate impact on Black Mississippians, nearly 29,000 of whom were disenfranchised between 1994 and 2017, according to court filings. Black Mississippians account for 36% of the state's voting age population but 59% of those who have been disfranchised for life due to a felony conviction. The 1890 version had removed crimes thought to be "white crimes" and added those thought to be "Black crimes," with the aim of discriminating against Black voters, according to court records. Eight crimes listed in the 1890 version of the provision - bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement and bigamy - remain as disqualifying offenses today. A key question in the case was whether the process of amending Mississippi's felon disenfranchisement provision purged the discriminatory intent behind the 1890 version and brought the law into compliance constitutional race-based voter protections.

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Persons: Roy Harness, Kamal Karriem, Constitution's, Harness, Karriem, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Black, Constitution, Harness, The, Circuit, Thomson Locations: Civil, Mississippi, U.S, The New Orleans