NATCHEZ — A federal judge dismissed Thursday a lawsuit against the City of Natchez regarding its voting ward lines.

U.S. Southern District Judge Keith Starrett granted the city’s motion to dismiss the case. In the ruling, Starrett wrote, “Evidence demonstrates that (the city) gave plaintiffs everything they wanted in this litigation, and … were … in the process of doing so shortly after this case was filed last year.”

The lawsuit was filed in May 2015 by former Natchez Mayor Phillip West, former Justice Court Judge and now Interim Ward 2 Alderwoman Mary Lee Toles, the Rev. Clifton Marvel and Jacqueline Marsaw of the NAACP.

The lawsuit alleged the then current ward lines — based on the 2000 census — were drawn in a way that “fractures geographically concentrated African-American populations and dilutes African-American voting strength.”

The city adopted new ward lines in November 2015. The upcoming city election will be conducted under the new ward lines.

The court agreed with the city that the lawsuit no longer had a live controversy and was moot.

The order also denied a motion for declaratory judgment that would have allowed for the plaintiffs to be entitled to payment of attorney’s fees by the city.

City Attorney Hyde Carby said the city is satisfied with the outcome of the case and extended thanks to Chad Mask and Clifton Decker of Carroll Warren & Parker who assisted the city in creating the redistricting plan it adopted.

West said Thursday night he was not aware of the judge’s ruling, but was satisfied with the judgment.

“I have no problem with it at all,” he said.