JACKSON, Miss. - The U.S. Supreme Court is giving Mississippi more time to respond to a lawsuit that challenges the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.

  

The court says Monday that attorneys for Gov. Phil Bryant have until Oct. 18 to respond. The original deadline was this Thursday.

  

Carlos Moore, an African-American attorney in Mississippi, filed suit in 2016 seeking to have the flag declared an unconstitutional relic of slavery.

  

A federal district judge and an appeals court ruled against Moore, but his attorneys asked the Supreme Court in June to consider the case during the term that begins in October. The court accepts a fraction of cases on appeal.

  

Mississippi has the last state flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem. Critics say the symbol is racist. Supporters say it represents history.