Ferguson judge named in DOJ report resigns

Yamiche Alcindor | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Ferguson judge resigns after scathing DOJ report Judge Ronald Brockmeyer resigned after last week's Department of Justice report found he punished the most vulnerable residents of Ferguson with fines and fees. He's also accused of fixing traffic tickets for himself and colleagues.

A municipal judge criticized in a Justice Department investigation of Ferguson, Mo.' s troubled police department and court system resigned Monday, KSDK-TV, St.. Louis, reported.

Judge Ronald Brockmeyer of Ferguson presided in Ferguson for more than a decade and is mentioned in the Justice Department's report about the city that criticized the court's use of sometimes excessive and unnecessary fees.

That Justice Department review also found that Missouri's troubled Ferguson Police Department engaged in a broad pattern of racially biased enforcement that permeated the city's justice system, including the use of unreasonable force against African American suspects. The report criticized the city's municipal court system and included Brockmeyer's boasts about increasing the court fees.

Citing a report from the finance director to city council, the Justice Department pointed out that Brockmeyer had been "successful in significantly increasing court collections over the years."

The report also includes a list of what the judge did to help in the areas of court efficiency and revenue. That list that Brockmeyer drafted approvingly highlighted the creation of additional fees, many of which are widely considered abusive and may be unlawful, according to the Justice Department. The city of Ferguson repealed some of the fees, including a "failure to appear fine," during the Justice Department's investigation.

The Justice Department's scathing denouncement of racially biased policing operations in Ferguson came six months after Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown, 18, setting off demonstrations that spread across the country.

The Supreme Court of Missouri transferred Judge Roy Richter of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, to the St. Louis County circuit court, where he will be assigned to hear all of Ferguson's pending and future municipal division cases. The court said the move was to "help restore public trust and confidence in the Ferguson municipal court division" and will take effect March 16.

"Judge Richter will bring a fresh, disinterested perspective to this court's practices and he is able and willing to implement needed reforms," Chief Justice Mary R. Russell said in a statement. "More than two-thirds of all Missouri court cases are filed in the municipal divisions.

"Though these are not courts of record, they are the first — and sometimes the only — impression Missourians have of their court system," she said. "Although we recognize the local control our statutes give these uniquely local entities, we must not sacrifice individual rights and society's collective commitment to justice."

But some who applaud the Justice Department report say Brockmeyer was not the only problem. Thomas Harvey of Arch City Defenders, who represents low-income people who need legal assistance, contends that all the city-leve municipal courts need to be shuttered and allow circuit courts to take over.

"Make these professional courts, make them full time courts, have the cases heard there," he said. "Reduce the number of places that poor people have to go to resolve these legal matters and let's restore some sanity to the region in terms of the way we handle the municipal courts."

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon also issued a statement Monday night.

"Courts are a vital part of our democracy, and our court system is built on the trust of the citizens it serves," he said. "Today's strong and appropriate actions by the Missouri Supreme Court are a solid step forward. I will continue to work with the Missouri Supreme Court and the legislature to ensure all municipal courts operate in the fair, transparent and accountable manner Missourians expect and deserve."

Representatives for the city of Ferguson as well as a Brockmeyer's law firm did not immediately return requests from USA TODAY for comment.

Contributing: Alexandra Martellaro and Elizabeth Matthews, KSDK-TV, St. Louis