STL muni court cancels warrants issued for failure to pay

Defendants in St. Louis municipal court who face the risk of being arrested because they didn’t pay a fine or fee are getting a second chance.

The city announced July 1 it is cancelling a total of 56,000 warrants that had been issued to 29,000 people individuals who failed to pay. Those 29,000 people will get a letter offering them a new court date and a chance to explain why they did not pay the initial fines and court costs.

“This is the most ethical and fair thing to do,” said Mayor Francis Slay in a statement. “We want people to fulfill their obligations to the law, but when a person’s only remaining commitment is to make a payment on their case, doing so shouldn’t create an undue stress or burden.”

Also starting July 1, defendants who fail to pay in future cases will get the warning letter asking them to come to court. Warrants could be issued if people skip their new court date or ignore the letter. This gives defendants 30 days and another court date to become compliant with their payment obligations without the burden of an arrest warrant.

“Having a warrant out for your arrest can cause understandable stress and complications in seeking a job, housing, or other resources, which in turn, increases the difficulties someone might have fulfilling their payment obligations to the court in the first place,” Slay said in a statement.

The change is part of a rule issued by the Missouri Supreme Court in December that also requires municipal courts to allow individuals to set up payment plans or do community service to settle their fines and fees. Prior to this rule, if an individual showed up to court but then didn’t pay the assessed fine, a warrant could be issued for his/her arrest. 

Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.