JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A group that includes two former chief justices of the Missouri Supreme Court and Kansas City’s mayor will evaluate the functioning of municipal courts in the state and make recommendations for improvement.
Chief Justice Mary Russell said Thursday the panel would be charged with crafting solutions to ensure defendants’ rights are respected in municipal courts throughout the state.
Part of their job will be to address the issues found in a U.S. Justice Department report that cited multiple civil rights abuses at the Ferguson municipal court. The report came following the unrest sparked by the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown there.
The court directed the group to hold at least one public hearing and make recommendations for new court rules and potential legislative actions.
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