Missouri Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

In the Rearview Mirror: St. Louis’s Municipal Courts After a Decade of Reform and Regress

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, …

Fant et al. v. City of Ferguson

Case No. 4-15-CV-00253-AGF| Settled February 27, 2024 Claims at Issue: In a class action complaint filed on February 8, 2015, the plaintiffs, nine class representatives who had been issued traffic …

Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri

Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri In 2014, when a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed Michael Brown, the City of Ferguson …

Roberts Webb et al. v. City of Maplewood

On March 6, 2023, a federal judge approved a $3.25 million settlement in this class-action lawsuit brought against the City of Maplewood, Missouri. The suit alleged that the City regularly …

Justice by Geography: The Role of Monetary Sanctions Across Communities

Although state statutes often dictate the amount of fines and fees imposed, local courts have significant discretion in how they carry out the laws and there is variation between courts …

Taking on Traffic Laws: A How-To Guide for Decriminalizing Mobility

Policy, planning, and funding decisions have left primarily Black and low-income communities without safe infrastructure for biking and walking and created conditions forcing people to make choices that cities have …

Fowler v. Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System

Fowler v. Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System 623 S.W.3d 578 (2021) Issue: Whether the statute allowing counties and municipal courts to assess and collect a $3 surcharge that goes towards the Missouri …

What is Wrong with Monetary Sanctions?: Directions for Policy, Practice, and Research

Each year tens of millions of people are assessed fines, fees, and other costs stemming from their contacts with the criminal legal system, ranging from felony convictions to traffic violations. …

Private Probation Costs, Compliance and the Proportionality of Punishment: Evidence from Georgia and Missouri

In misdemeanor courts, private probation companies provide supervision in at least a dozen states. Private probation is often accompanied by a number of unique supplementary costs, all of which individuals …

Monetary Sanctions and Symbiotic Harms

When justice-involved individuals cannot afford their legal debts, their families who provide financial support suffer the unintended negative effects of punishment– also known as symbiotic harms. This study analyzes data …