'Debtor's prison' lawsuit filed against St. Louis suburb resolved with $2.9 million settlement
Protesters march in the street as lightning flashes in the distance in Ferguson, Mo., Aug. 20, 2014, following the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teen, in the St. Louis suburb on Aug. 9. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2024, a St. Louis-based public interest law firm announced that the city of Florissant, Mo., will pay nearly $3 million to settle a so-called debtor's prison lawsuit that accused Florissant and six other St. Louis suburbs of violating the constitutional rights of residents by jailing them and forcing them to pay fines and fees amounting to millions of dollars. Florissant was among several St. Louis County cities whose policing and court practices fell under scrutiny after the fatal police shooting of Brown. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
ST. LOUIS — A Missouri city will pay nearly $3 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of violating the constitutional rights of residents by jailing them and forcing them to pay fines and fees amounting to millions of dollars, often for minor traffic violations.
The $2.9 million settlement with the St. Louis suburb of Florissant was approved by a federal judge on Tuesday and announced Wednesday by ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis-based public interest law firm. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2016.
Florissant was among several St. Louis County cities whose policing and court practices were scrutinized after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was killed by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014.
Wilson was not charged, but the shooting led to months of protests and prompted a Department of Justice investigation. The federal agency in 2015 accused Ferguson of racially biased policing and using excessive fines and court fees. A year later, Ferguson and the Justice Department reached an agreement that required sweeping reforms.
Funds from the Florissant settlement will be distributed among more than 85,000 people who were jailed or fined between Oct. 31, 2011, and Feb. 1, 2023. The settlement requires Florissant to forgive unpaid fees from traffic violations between Oct. 31, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2019, and to take other steps, including ensuring the right to an attorney for anyone brought before a municipal judge.
The Associated Press left telephone messages with the Florissant mayor’s office. Florissant, with 52,000 residents, is the largest city in St. Louis County.
Allison Nelson, now 32, said she was jailed twice in Florissant because she couldn’t afford to pay traffic fines.
A police car is set on fire amid protests that followed the announcement that a grand jury had declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, Nov. 24, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2024, a St. Louis-based public interest law firm announced that the city of Florissant, Mo., will pay nearly $3 million to settle a so-called debtor's prison lawsuit that accused Florissant and six other St. Louis suburbs of violating the constitutional rights of residents by jailing them and forcing them to pay fines and fees amounting to millions of dollars. Florissant was among several St. Louis County cities whose policing and court practices fell under scrutiny after the fatal police shooting of Brown. Credit: AP/Charlie Riedel
“To hold money over someone’s head like that, especially with me being as young as I was — that was crazy to me,” Nelson said in a news release from ArchCity Defenders.
Florissant joins the Missouri cities of Jennings, Normandy, Edmundson, Maplewood and St. Ann in settling similar class-action lawsuits. ArchCity Defenders said the six settlements combined have amounted to $16 million in damages. A lawsuit is still pending against the city of Ferguson.
Navigating politics over Thanksgiving and where to get holiday pies. Here's a look at some of the exclusive stories you may have missed this week on NewsdayTV.
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