ACLU Holds Public Meeting Over Maplewood's Nuisance Laws

MAPLEWOOD, MO — The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and the St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council will co-host a community meeting Wednesday July 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Fellowship Hall on Rannells Avenue to discuss a controversial nuisance ordinance critics say the city uses to target women and people of color.

The groups jointly sued the city in 2017, saying Maplewood's uses its nuisance laws to "banish" African Americans by revoking their occupancy permits, "perpetuating Maplewood's status as a 'white' community in the starkly segregated St. Louis metropolitan area."

Maplewood's law allows certain residents to be designated nuisances simply because they have been involved in multiple police calls, regardless of whether they did anything wrong, according to the lawsuit.

For example, if two or more police calls are associated with a resident — even if the resident is the victim — the town can effectively vote to expel them. In its suit, the ACLU cites one resident and domestic violence survivor who was kicked out of Maplewood for calling the police on her abuser.

Maplewood has also been accused of running a pay-to-play scheme that targets African Americans and the poor through its municipal court system. In a separate suit, ArchCity Defenders, a legal advocacy group, argues that Maplewood often jails people for minor traffic violations based solely on their ability to pay unreasonable fines. For example, before a defendant can receive information on the charges against them, schedule a court date, or appear before a judge, they must first pay the City of Maplewood between $500 and $800 to recall the warrant against them or face arrest and jail time, according to the complaint.

"Poor people and people of color have known about Maplewood's policies for years," ArchCity Defenders executive director Thomas Harvey said in 2016. "Our clients say Maplewood's police and court practices have prohibited them from driving through, shopping, and even living in Maplewood."

The city has denied any wrongdoing and will not participate in the community meeting.

"The ACLU is presently suing the City of Maplewood in regards to our nuisance ordinance," Maplewood city manager Marty Corcoran told St. Louis Public Radio. "The city will not participate in this public forum due to the ongoing ACLU litigation. We strongly disagree with the ACLU and EHOC position."

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