Corrupt jew judge Brockmeyer responsible for trouble in Ferguson

[yankeedoodle]

Ferguson Judge Targeted in DOJ Report Owes $170K in Unpaid Taxes
http://www.mediaite.com/online/ferguson-judge-targeted-in-doj-report-owes-170k-in-unpaid-taxes/#disqus_thread

Meet Ronald J. Brockmeyer, the Ferguson municipal court judge whose aggressive revenue-generating policies pushed police to arrest and fine the city's African-American residents — practically causing the racism in Ferguson. And according to the report, while Brockmeyer was leaning on the city's residents for money, he wrote off citations for his friends and family, held jobs that were clear conflicts of interest, and failed to pay more than $170,000 in taxes since 2007.

The Guardian dug into Brockmeyer's background and found that not only was the judge also a prosecutor in two different cities (as well as a private attorney who billed $600/hour), he also had a habit of writing off his own traffic fines and citations, as well as those of his associates. This would be considered low-level corruption if it weren't for the fact that Brockmeyer's currently the subject of a class-action lawsuit accusing him of repeatedly "imprisoned a human being solely because the person could not afford to make a monetary payment".

Oh, and speaking of debt, he's got $172,646 worth of it:

Federal tax liens filed against Brockmeyer by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) state that he has tens of thousands of dollars in overdue personal income taxes from joint filings with his wife, Amy. He also owes tens of thousands in employer taxes for his law firm and an annual tax paid by employers to fund benefits for the unemployed. Since November 2013, Brockmeyer has paid off another three overdue tax bills totalling $64,599.
He owns three properties in the St Louis area and accompanied his family on a vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida in 2013.
Despite his behavior, however, city officials were loath to replace him: the DOJ report listed one incident in which a city councilman calling for Brockmeyer's replacement was warned that "switching judges would/could lead to loss of revenue".

"Even as Ferguson city officials maintain the harmful stereotype that black individuals lack personal responsibility — and continue to cite this lack of personal responsibility as the cause of the disparate impact of Ferguson's practices — white city officials condone a striking lack of personal responsibility among themselves and their friends," the report added.

[rmstock]

Federal tax liens filed against Ronald Brockmeyer by the Internal Revenue Service state that he has tens of thousands of
dollars in overdue personal income taxes from joint filings with his wife, Amy. Photograph: Supplied
Missouri
Ferguson judge behind aggressive fines policy owes $170,000 in unpaid taxes
Ronald J Brockmeyer, who is accused of fixing traffic tickets for himself and associates, was a driving force behind using fines and fees to generate revenue
Jon Swaine in New York - @jonswaine - Friday 6 March 2015 19.48 GMT
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/06/ferguson-judge-owes-unpaid-taxes-ronald-brockmeyer

  "The judge in Ferguson, Missouri, who is accused of fixing traffic
   tickets for himself and colleagues while inflicting a punishing regime
   of fines and fees on the city's residents, also owes more than $170,000
   in unpaid taxes.

   Ronald J Brockmeyer, whose court allegedly jailed impoverished
   defendants unable to pay fines of a few hundred dollars, has a string
   of outstanding debts to the US government dating back to 2007,
   according to tax filings obtained by the Guardian from authorities in
   Missouri.

   Brockmeyer, 70, was this week singled out by Department of Justice
   investigators as being a driving force behind Ferguson's strategy of
   using its municipal court to aggressively generate revenues. The policy
   has been blamed for a breakdown in relations between the city's
   overwhelmingly white authorities and residents, two-thirds of whom are
   African American.

   Investigators found Brockmeyer had boasted of creating a range of new
   court fees, "many of which are widely considered abusive and may be
   unlawful". A city councilman opposing the judge's reappointment was
   warned "switching judges would/could lead to loss of revenue".

   Brockmeyer, who has been Ferguson's municipal court judge for 12 years,
   serves simultaneously as a prosecutor in two nearby cities and as a
   private attorney. Legal experts said his potentially conflicting
   interests illustrate a serious problem in the region's judicial system.
   Brockmeyer, who reportedly earns $600 per shift as a prosecutor, said
   last year his dual role benefited defendants. "I see both sides of it,"
   he said. "I think it's even better."


As well as being a judge in Ferguson's municipal court, Ronald Brockmeyer is also a prosecutor
in two nearby cities and a private attorney. Photograph: brockmeyerlaw.com

   While Brockmeyer owes the US government $172,646 in taxes, his court in
   Ferguson is at the centre of a class-action federal lawsuit that
   alleges Ferguson repeatedly "imprisoned a human being solely because
   the person could not afford to make a monetary payment".

   "Judge Brockmeyer not being incarcerated is a perfect illustration of
   how we should go about collecting debt from people who owe it," said
   Thomas Harvey, the director of Arch City Defenders, one of the legal
   non-profits representing plaintiffs who were jailed in Ferguson.

   Brockmeyer did not respond to multiple emails and telephone calls
   requesting comment. Federal tax liens filed against Brockmeyer by the
   Internal Revenue Service (IRS) state that he has tens of thousands of
   dollars in overdue personal income taxes from joint filings with his
   wife, Amy. He also owes tens of thousands in employer taxes for his law
   firm and an annual tax paid by employers to fund benefits for the
   unemployed. Since November 2013, Brockmeyer has paid off another three
   overdue tax bills totalling $64,599.

   He owns three properties in the St Louis area and accompanied his
   family on a vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida in 2013.

   The judge was also named among a group of white Ferguson officials
   found by Department of Justice investigators to be writing off
   citations for themselves and friends while punishing residents for
   similar offences. Another of these officials, court clerk Mary Ann
   Twitty, was fired by the city in connection with racist emails also
   uncovered by the inquiry.

   The report said Brockmeyer agreed to "take care" of a speeding ticket
   for a senior Ferguson police officer in August 2014, and had a red
   light camera ticket he received himself from the nearby city of
   Hazelwood dismissed in October 2013.

   "Even as Ferguson city officials maintain the harmful stereotype that
   black individuals lack personal responsibility – and continue to cite
   this lack of personal responsibility as the cause of the disparate
   impact of Ferguson's practices – white city officials condone a
   striking lack of personal responsibility among themselves and their
   friends," the Justice Department investigators said, in a scathing
   report on the city's administration.

   The class action lawsuit filed against Ferguson earlier this year
   alleges that the city violates the constitutional rights of defendants
   imprisoned over outstanding tickets and minor offences. It seeks
   compensation and asks a federal judge to force Ferguson to halt the
   practices.

   "Once locked in the Ferguson jail, impoverished people owing debts to
   the city endure grotesque treatment. They are kept in overcrowded
   cells; they are denied toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap; they are
   subjected to the constant stench of excrement and refuse in their
   congested cells [and] they are surrounded by walls smeared with mucus
   and blood," said one passage of the lawsuit, which went on to name
   several more hardships.

   One of the plaintiffs – Roelif Carter, a 62-year-old disabled military
   veteran – alleges he was arrested and jailed for three days in Ferguson
   in 2010 after trying to pay the $100 monthly instalment for his
   outstanding traffic fines on the second day of the month rather than
   the first, when it was due. While living in "constant fear" he was
   arrested and jailed three more times in the following years when he was
   unable to pay the monthly charge, the lawsuit alleges.

   "Most debtors in this country are not rounded up and jailed in brutal
   conditions," said Alec Karakatsanis, a co-founder of Equal Justice
   Under Law and a lead attorney on the lawsuit. "But if you happen to owe
   your debts to a municipality in St Louis County, they are willing to
   let you languish there on a ransom."

[Idaho Kid]

Nice to see his mug.  Looks to be more zisblatted than the bride. 

[rmstock]

Ferguson city manager John Shaw leaves a closed-door meeting with the mayor and city council.
Photograph: James Cooper/Demotix/Corbis
Ferguson removes city manager after damning justice department report
Council reaches 'mutual separation agreement' with John Shaw, who was cited in report for his  role in aggressive revenue-raising via traffic tickets
by Jon Swaine in New York - @jonswaine - Wednesday 11 March 2015 02.06 GMT
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/11/ferguson-removes-city-manager-after-damning-justice-department-report

  "The city manager of Ferguson, Missouri, was removed from his job on
   Tuesday evening as the fallout grew from a damning report by the US
   justice department on the town's administration.

   John Shaw, who remained hidden from public view through months of
   upheaval after the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black
   18-year-old, signed "a mutual separation agreement" that was approved
   unanimously by the city council.

   Shaw, 39, said in a statement that with a "with a heavy heart" he had
   decided "it is in the community's best interest that I step aside" from
   his $120,000-a-year job as chief executive.

   "I believe that with our coming municipal election it is the
   appropriate time for the city to experience change in its city
   manager," said Shaw, who was appointed in 2007.

   Shaw on Tuesday became the fifth city official put out of a job
   following last week's publication of the justice department's report on
   its inquiry into Ferguson's courts and policing system, which was
   triggered by the unrest following Brown's death.

   Last week two senior police commanders resigned, and the court clerk
   was fired, over racist emails uncovered by the federal investigators.
   On Monday Ronald J Brockmeyer resigned as Ferguson's municipal judge.
   The justice department's report accused Brockmeyer of fixing traffic
   tickets for associates while implementing an aggressive court fees
   policy.

   Shaw was singled out by investigators as a driving force behind the
   controversial strategy, which has seen the city sued in a class-action
   lawsuit that accuses it of running a modern-day "debtors' prison". The
   report found emails in which Shaw responded to news of record-breaking
   court revenues with messages such as "Wonderful!" and "Awesome!"

   His relative obscurity belied his position as a more authoritative
   figure than James Knowles III, Ferguson's part-time mayor, who has
   appeared frequently before the media since the death of Michael Brown
   on 9 August last year.

   Brown's shooting by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, set off
   successive nights of intense protests that were cracked down on by
   heavily armed police. A night of rioting and arson followed a decision
   by a grand jury not to charge Wilson with a crime in November.

   Despite Knowles's prominence, Shaw held power over city departments
   including the police, and had the authority to hire and dismiss senior
   officials. Yet he never once spoke publicly about the unrest that shook
   the St Louis suburb and placed it in the international spotlight.

   The justice department last week concluded the city's criminal justice
   system was aggressively driven by the aim of raising revenues, blighted
   by racial bias and had contributed to a breakdown in relations between
   the city's overwhelmingly white authorities and its 22,000 residents,
   two-thirds of whom are black.

   The US attorney general, Eric Holder, blamed Ferguson's police for
   creating a "toxic environment, defined by mistrust and resentment" that
   had been set off "like a powder keg" by Wilson's shooting of Brown.

   Shaw – who was himself found by investigators to have forwarded an
   email perpetuating stereotypes of Latinos – defended his record against
   associations with racism in his statement on Tuesday.

   "I must state clearly that my office has never instructed the police
   department to target African Americans, nor falsify charges to
   administer fines, nor heap abuses on the backs of the poor. Any
   inferences of that kind from the report are simply false," he said.

   Little was publicly known about Shaw despite his influential position.
   He lives in Ferguson with his wife, Natalia. Prior to taking the city
   manager job he worked as assistant to the city administrator in
   Shrewsbury, another St Louis suburb. Figures released by the city under
   open records laws showed Shaw's salary had risen by 18% from $101,000
   since 2012.

   A statement issued by city authorities said Shaw's responsibilities
   would be shared by other officials until a replacement was found.

   "We appreciate John's service and commitment to the City of Ferguson
   for the past eight years," said Knowles in a statement. "The city
   council and John Shaw feel as though it is the appropriate time for the
   city to move forward as it begins its search for a new city manager".

See also :


Protesters in Ferguson last week. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
Ferguson's city manager is out after Justice Dept. report
By Mark Berman March 10 at 10:04 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/03/10/fergusons-city-manager-resigns-after-justice-dept-report/

  "Officials in Ferguson, Mo., announced Tuesday night that John Shaw, the
   city manager, was leaving his position.

   The move, which the city called "a mutual separation agreement," comes
   in the wake of a scathing Justice Department report that criticized
   Shaw and other Ferguson officials for the city's discriminatory and
   predatory behavior toward citizens.

   This change is the biggest fallout yet from the Justice Department's
   report, and it is the second time in as many days that a key Ferguson
   figure cited in the report is leaving his position. On Monday, the
   Missouri Supreme Court said that a new judge would be taking over court
   cases in the city.

   But Shaw leaving his position is a major change in Ferguson, because
   the city manager is the city's chief executive, responsible for
   supervising the police department, overseeing every other department
   and appointing the municipal judge. The city manager also serves
   indefinitely, or until the city council votes him or her out.

   On Tuesday night, the seven members of the Ferguson City Council voted
   unanimously to part ways with Shaw, effective immediately.

   "We appreciate John's service and commitment to the city of Ferguson
   for the past eight years," Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III, who is on
   the council, said in a statement. "The City Council and John Shaw feel
   as though it is the appropriate time for the city to move forward as it
   begins its search for a new city manager."

   In a letter released by the city Tuesday, Shaw announced that he had
   decided to step down after eight years in the position.

   "I care deeply for this community, and I believe that with our coming
   municipal election it is the appropriate time for the city to
   experience change in its city manager," he wrote in the letter.

   While he was careful to note that he has worked with the Justice
   Department on finding areas to improve, he took issue with the report's
   assertion that racial bias was at play in the city's actions.

   "I must state clearly that my office has never instructed the police
   department to target African Americans, nor falsify charges to
   administer fines, nor heap abuses on the backs of the poor," he wrote.
   "Any inferences of that kind from the report are simply false."

   The Justice Department's report said the city's police and court
   practices have an undue impact on African Americans and also stated
   that "there is evidence that this is due in part to intentional
   discrimination on the basis of race." Investigators said that city
   officials urge police officers and court staff to deliver revenue above
   all else, adding that this focus on money "has a profound effect" on
   how the police force operates.

   "This emphasis on revenue has compromised the institutional character
   of Ferguson's police department, contributing to a pattern of
   unconstitutional policing, and has also shaped its municipal court,
   leading to procedures that raise due process concerns and inflict
   unnecessary harm on members of the Ferguson community," the report
   stated.

   Shaw is quoted in the report applauding messages from the police chief
   about the city's revenue. One e-mail shows Shaw, after being told about
   the city's court revenue surpassing $2 million in a single year,
   responding with "Awesome!" After another e-mail describing lengthy
   lines of people waiting to pay off fines, Shaw is described as
   congratulating the police force and court staff for "great work."

   In another portion of the report, an unnamed city council member asked
   that Ferguson's former municipal judge, Ronald J. Brockmeyer, who was
   also singled out for criticism in the report, not be reappointed. (Shaw
   was responsible for nominating Brockmeyer, who was in his position
   before Shaw obtained his, to a two-year term, but the city council had
   to elect him.)

   The council member is quoted as saying that while replacing Brockmeyer
   would mean a loss of revenue, it would also mean that cases would be
   "handled properly and fairly." In response, Shaw is described as
   acknowledging "mixed reviews" of Brockmeyer's work before stating that
   it "goes without saying" that the city can't afford to a decrease in
   fines.

   In his letter Tuesday, Shaw said he was proud of the things that city
   residents and officials have done to make Ferguson "a better place to
   live," pointing to economic development actions, social programs and
   infrastructure improvements.

   Ultimately, though, his letter turned to actions he said he has taken
   since Ferguson became a national flash-point last year after Darren
   Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an
   unarmed 18-year-old. The city became the epicenter of a national debate
   over policing and race, while the actions of its police force and court
   system were derided by protesters and, eventually, the Justice
   Department.

   "Over the last several months I have done everything in my power to
   work with countless groups to bring about positive change and
   strengthen our community," he wrote. He added: "I have worked with
   numerous activists and community leaders to make the City a true
   partner in projects designed to move our community forward."

   In a news release, the city said that his current duties would be
   divided among Ferguson's city departments while a nationwide search is
   carried out.

   "I've known John for several years and I wish him luck with future
   endeavors as we continue to work through the necessary steps to become
   a community of choice for all of our residents," Dwayne T. James, a
   Ferguson City Council member, said in a statement released by the city.

   So far, five people have left their positions due to the Justice
   Department report. Last week, two police officers resigned and the
   city's court clerk was fired over seven racist e-mails that were
   highlighted in the federal report.

   And the announcement of Shaw's departure came a day after the Missouri
   Supreme Court said that in an "extraordinary action," it was placing a
   state judge in charge of cases in Ferguson.

   Missouri Chief Justice Mary R. Russell called that change necessary to
   allow for needed reforms in Ferguson's court system, which the Justice
   Department had called harmful and focused solely on boosting revenue.
   In an order signed by Russell and approved by the full court, Judge Roy
   L. Richter of the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals was
   moved to the St. Louis County circuit court and ordered to "restore the
   integrity of the system" in Ferguson.

   Brockmeyer, the municipal judge who was criticized in the Justice
   Department's report for creating court fees that were described as
   "abusive and may be unlawful," said Monday that he was leaving his post
   in Ferguson.

   RELATED:
   Justice Department clears Darren Wilson, finds pattern of racial bias
   in the Ferguson police

   After the Justice Department's report, what's next for Ferguson?

   The 12 key highlights from the DOJ's scathing Ferguson report

   This post has been updated. First published: 8:55 p.m."