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Review of Old Court Cases Continues in Ferguson

U.S. Department of Justice and Ferguson, Missouri, officials say the city is still poring over old municipal court cases trying to determine which should be dismissed as part of an agreement with the Justice Department.

About 90 people showed up Wednesday night for an update on reforms in the St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown died in a 2014 police shooting that became a catalyst for the national Black Lives Matter movement.

Several residents questioned the progress being made toward reviewing the backlog of court cases. More than 10,000 old cases are still being reviewed with plans to dismiss charges for minor violations.

Justice Department attorney Jude Volek says 32,000 cases have previously been dismissed, many for failure to appear in court — a citation often criticized as generating revenue on the backs of poor and minority residents.