One class action suit settled for $3.3 million and required seven municipalities to stop collecting the fee to remove warrants, forgive debt caused by that fee, and partially refund impacted individuals.
Ten years ago, the death of Michael Brown ignited the Ferguson Uprising, bringing to light systemic injustices in municipal courts across St. Louis County. In the wake of this tragedy, the ArchCity Defenders published a report exposing exploitative practices in Ferguson and other local courts, adding to the widespread public interest. This interest led to numerous investigations documenting conflicts of interest, civil rights violations, and stark racial and economic disparities in court operations and local governments throughout St. Louis County. This report reflects on the impact of the Ferguson Uprising over the past decade, examining reforms and persistent issues in St. Louis’s municipal courts. Missouri lawmakers responded to public outcry by passing Senate Bill 5 in 2015 and Senate Bill 572 in 2016. Together, these laws sought to curb municipal court revenue by limiting fines, mandating transparent financial reporting, and requiring the Missouri Supreme Court to address conflicts of interest among municipal personnel. Although these measures led to a drop in municipal court revenue, they did not fully resolve the deeper issues plaguing the courts. A key recommendation from this report advocates for the consolidation of St. Louis County’s municipal courts. Such a structural change could ensure independent oversight and compliance with Rule 37, which outlines procedural and operational standards for municipal courts.
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Key Findings:
- Between 2014 and 2015, multiple reports by ArchCity Defenders, the Missouri Council for a Better Economy, the Department of Justice, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the Ferguson Commission highlighted pervasive inefficiencies, biases, and inequities in Missouri’s municipal court system.
- Senate Bill 5 imposed a cap of 20 percent on the portion of a city’s annual general operating revenue derived from fines, bond forfeitures, and court costs related to municipal ordinance violations and minor traffic offenses.
- Changes to Rule 37 by the Missouri Supreme Court established guidelines for court procedures, addressing critical issues like fines assessment and warrant issuance.
- Between 2014 and 2019, ArchCity Defenders filed 20 lawsuits on behalf of clients who were charged improper court fees and cash bail and forced into modern-day debtors’ prisons.
- Between 2015 and 2018, seven debtor’s prison class actions settled for $20.2 million.
- St. Louis County has a disproportionately high ratio of municipal courts to residents compared to other areas in Missouri and across the U.S.
- From 2014 to 2023, municipal court revenue in St. Louis County declined by 80.9 percent, ticket issuance declined by 55 percent, and warrant issuance declined by 37.6 percent.
- In an alarming trend, St. Louis County’s warrants issued spiked 3330.26 percent from FY2022 to FY2023, jumping from 532 warrants to 18,249.
Recommendations:
- Consolidate St. Louis’ 81 municipal courts into a single regional court system.