Source: Joe Raedle / Getty
On Monday the municipal court judge in Ferguson, Missouri, announced changes to the city’s court system, including an order to withdraw all arrest warrants issued in that city before December 31, 2014. Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, also changed the conditions for pretrial release.
According to a press release issued by Ferguson, all defendants will be granted new court dates with alternative penalties like community service or payment plans. Due to these changes those caught for minor traffic violations should be less likely to end up behind bars.
Under the new policy, traffic violators won’t be arrested but instead will be released on their own recognizance and issued another court date. A separate Justice Department report found examples that support claims in which some felt police unfairly singled out African-Americans.
The report was followed by the resignation of Ferguson’s then police Chief Thomas Jackson. Patricia Bynes, the Ferguson Township Democratic committeewoman who has also been active in the protest movement said she thinks Monday’s actions by McCullin show the demonstrations made a difference.
In March, the U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation discovered that Ferguson police as well as the city’s municipal court engaged in a “pattern and practice” of discrimination against African-Americans. In 88% of the cases in which the Ferguson police reported using force, it was against African-Americans.
Now due to changes made by McCullin, warrants many of which are from traffic tickets and fines people couldn’t pay, as well as failure to appear in court have been withdrawn. Also all suspensions of driver’s licenses are now null and void.
Arch City Defenders, a nonprofit legal aid group that has sued Ferguson in the past over its ticketing practices, doesn’t think the judge went far enough. Arch City Executive Director Thomas Harvey said
“There are real questions about the legitimacy of the stops in the first place brought up by the DOJ and Arch City Defenders as well. If they want to do something in the interest of community healing they should just get rid of those cases. Blank slate. Start over. And move on.”
Harvey also made it clear that McCullin has to retire in six months because of state mandated age limits for judges. The advocacy group leader discussed his worries about the order not being a part of a decree that would be overseen by a higher court there is no guarantee the city will follow through.
The release of the Justice Department report’s or the new order for the ticketing and arrest warrant issue didn’t necessarily go away. CNN reported earlier this month that the city was still handing out thousands of new arrest warrants and jailing people over minor offenses.
By that point in 2015, the city of Ferguson had already issued more than 2,300 new arrest warrants for the year.
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