Now here's some sweet justice—a stinging indictment of the court practices in Ferguson, where a new municipal judge has ordered a complete overhaul of the system (
via Reuters):
Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, appointed in June, ordered that all arrest warrants issued in the city before Dec. 31, 2014 be withdrawn.
Defendants will receive new court dates along with options for disposing of their cases, such as payment plans or community service. Fines may be commuted for indigent people.
The changes come five months after the U.S. Department of Justice strongly criticized city leaders in its report, saying the police force and court worked together to exploit people in order to raise revenue.
The
Department of Justice inquiry found a calculated pattern of abuse had arisen in Ferguson where minor municipal violations like traffic stops were continually ratcheted up until they resulted in arrests, jail time, and fines that far exceeded that of the original violation.
Judge McCullin also said that many people who have had their driver's licenses suspended—a common practice in Ferguson—will be able to get their licenses back and drive legally again.
McCullin succeeded municipal judge Ronald Brockemeyer, who was roundly criticized in the DOJ report.
Discussion is also going on in wa ma's diary.