Over 22,000 people who a court ruled had their rights violated by the City of Normandy between 2013 and 2021 have less than two weeks to file a claim to receive money from a $1.3 million class action settlement.
“It feels really good to get some of the money back into the pockets of people who were jailed by the city of Normandy because they couldn’t afford their bond,” said John “Jack” Waldron, ArchCity Defenders civil litigation managing attorney.
In March 2022, attorneys with ArchCity Defenders reached a preliminary settlement in a $1.3 million lawsuit against Normandy on behalf of thousands of potential class members. The deadline to file a claim is August 26, 2022. Any funds that are unclaimed go back to the City of Normandy.
“Change doesn’t occur by accident, and unfortunately municipalities have had to be forced into some accountability,” said Umi Okoli, a plaintiff in the suit. “People want to breathe easy when their children and grandchildren walk out the door and drive through places like Normandy. While this has been a long time coming, I’m hopeful that this is an example of change happening in St. Louis.”
Between September 10, 2013, and May 12, 2021, individuals who were jailed by Normandy could receive up to $675 per three days in jail. Those who were fined by Normandy could receive up to $60, and those who had a warrant issued by Normandy could receive up to $20.
“Change doesn’t occur by accident, and unfortunately municipalities have had to be forced into some accountability,” said Umi Okoli, a plaintiff in the suit.
“People want to breathe easy when their children and grandchildren walk out the door and drive through places like Normandy. While this has been a long time coming, I’m hopeful that this is an example of change happening in St. Louis.”
In the year the suit was filed, 2013, Normandy issued 10,390 tickets, a 472% increase from 2008. According to the Office of the State Courts Administrator’s Table 94 on Municipal Division data, Normandy’s municipal court generated over $1.7 million that year.
Edmundson, a smaller municipality near the airport, face a similar civil court action. Individuals who were jailed between December 2013 and July 2021 could file a claim against the small town under the federal lawsuit Quinton Thomas v. City of Edmundson.
The settlement class includes 10,000 people and monetary damages close to $370,000.
“Normandy is just one of many municipalities to write tickets to generate money for the city,” said Waldron.
According to the lawsuit, “Edmundson had a pattern and practice of exploiting primarily poor and Black individuals through an unlawful and perverse system of criminalizing, arresting, and jailing people who could not afford to pay court fines and fees which stemmed from over-policing, excessive ticketing, and a revenue-generating municipal court.”
The small town generated $2.2 million in revenue from its municipal court between 2012 and 2016. It made national headlines in 2014, when Mayor John Gwaltney sent a memo to the City’s police department stating, “I wish to take this opportunity to remind you that the tickets that you write do add to the revenue on which the P. D. budget is established and will directly affect pay adjustments at budget time.”
Quinton Thomas, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said, “We are getting tired of getting mistreated, as citizens, and as taxpayers. I think it has been a vital opportunity to be a part of this and to bring these wrongdoings to light around Missouri and also, how it’s happening around the country.”
Action St. Louis has led a canvassing effort to spread the word about the settlements, and recently 105 claims were made, totaling more than $15,000 dollars.
Since 2014, ArchCity Defenders has filed seven debtors’ prison lawsuits on behalf of thousands of individuals whose rights were allegedly violated by local governments.
A class action suit against the city of Jennings, which neighbors Ferguson, was settled in July 2016 for a landmark $4.75 million, and had 2,000 class members.
Within the past three months, Davis v. Normandy and Thomas v. Edmundson have both been approved for preliminary settlement, which means that impacted individuals can file a claim. If eligible, they can receive compensation.
Similar cases against Ferguson and Florissant have a ruling on class certification pending. Litigation against St. Ann will reach the settlement stage later this year.
To find out if you are a class member in the Normandy case:
Go online to: NORMANDYCLASSACTION.COM
Call: (888) 205-0036
E-mail: NormandyClassAction@AtticusAdmin.com
Ashley Winters is The St. Louis American Report for America reporter.
