Litigation

Weeks v. City of St. Louis, Missouri

In denying Weeks’ request, SLMPD has claimed that the records requested have been digitized and are now under the control of the Regional Justice Information Services Commission (REJIS), which provides IT support for the City and a number of law enforcement agencies across the state. REJIS argues that the information cannot be released without...

Filed - November 13, 2019

Chicagoans for an End to the Gang Database v. City of Chicago

Immigrants' Rights

The MacArthur Justice Center represents the Chicagoans for an End to the Gang Database, a coalition of individuals and community organizations, in a federal class action lawsuit against the City of Chicago and Chicago Police Department (CPD) targeting the widespread use of an inaccurate, racially discriminatory Gang Database.

Filed - June 19, 2018

Johnson v. Kempter County et al.

Health and Safety

Wayne Johnson was incarcerated at the Kemper Neshoba Regional Correctional Facility for failure to pay fines owed to the Meridian, Mississippi Municipal Court. Despite being sentenced to only two days in jail, Mr. Johnson was detained for more than 50 days. Kemper County, Sheriff James Moore, and five correctional officers have been sued by the...

Filed - September 30, 2019

Caliste v. Cantrell

Cash Bail

The MacArthur Justice Center is pursuing a federal class action lawsuit against Orleans Magistrate Judge Harry E. Cantrell challenging his practice of setting high bail amounts without any consideration of the person’s ability to pay or alternative no-cost conditions of release. Judge Cantrell also insists on using commercial bond companies (rather than cash), which require a non-reimbursable fee, a portion of which goes to the court’s General Fund – revenue Cantrell and other judges’ control.

Filed - June 27, 2017

Warden v. Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department

Community Accountability

In June 2019, MacArthur Justice Center argued on behalf of Rob Warden (Executive Director Emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions) that the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to provide photographs of police officers for use by the media. The CPD had denied Rob Warden’s February 2016 request...

Whitt v. City of St. Louis

Rights of Protesters

David Whitt, co-founded the St. Louis CopWatch, after Michael Brown was killed in 2014 by an on-duty police officer and there was no video evidence of the incident. He has provided CopWatch training in communities across the country. In August 2016, he was arrested while recording a video of police activity despite maintaining a reasonable...

Filed - August 7, 2018

Spoon v. Bayou Bridge Pipeline LLC et al.

Rights of Protesters

Cynthia Spoon, Sophia Cook-Phillips, and Eric Moll were traveling in a canoe and kayak on the waters of Bayou Bee to observe and peacefully protest the construction. As part of a continuing effort to suppress the protests, Bayou Bridge Pipeline LLC (BBP) and HUB Enterprises (HUB) directed “private duty” law enforcement officers from the Louisiana...

Filed - August 9, 2019

Brown v. Precythe

Parole

The MacArthur Justice Center is pursuing a federal class action challenging the Missouri Parole Board’s demonstrated abuse of power, disregard for due process and failure to comply with state and federal law when it comes to youthful offenders previously given mandatory life without parole sentences.

Filed - October 31, 2017

Campbell v. City of Chicago

Police Abuse

The MacArthur Justice Center formed a coalition of attorneys, community organizations and individuals to file a historic class action lawsuit seeking federal court oversight of the Chicago Police Department's (CPD) operations on behalf of thousands of individuals, predominately Blacks and Latinx, who have been subjected to the CPD's policy and practice of using excessive force, sometimes in racially discriminatory and brutal ways.

Filed - June 14, 2017

Wearry v. Perrilloux

Prosecutorial Discretion

The suit details their efforts fabricating an eyewitness account by an adolescent, coercing the 10-year old into adopting the false story, and using his testimony to convict Mr. Wearry of first degree murder and sentence him to death in a case the U.S. Supreme Court has said was built on a “house of cards”.

Filed - May 30, 2018

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