More than 200 people gather on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol on Jan. 31, 2023, to protest against a bill that would expand the patrol territory for the state-run Capitol Police within the majority-Black city of Jackson and create a new court with appointed rather than elected judges. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge Friday temporarily blocked the appointment of four state court judges in the majority-Black county that is home to Mississippi's capital city — appointments that drew protests from local residents who said white state officials were stomping on civil rights.