@CourtWatchSTL

an abolitionist, volunteer-powered program watching and reporting on bail hearings in STL's 22nd Judicial Circuit to hold the courts accountable to the people

 St. Louis, MO
freedomstl.org/courtwatch-reports
Joined February 2020
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🚨CHECK OUT OUR NEW REPORT🚨 ‘The Process is the Punishment’ is a 6-month analysis of over 3,000 hearings for more than 1,700 people in St. Louis City Courts and it’s devastating impacts on disproportionately Black, Disabled, and poor. Read more here: static1.squarespace.com/stat…
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Replying to @CourtWatchNYC
@CourtWatchNYC joins the demand to hold its city judges accountable! As in PA, judges make critical decisions abt peoples lives! Yet they are often under evaluated or given no scrutiny, allowing unfit & cruel judges to serve for decades. #letswatchcourt thecourtnydeserves.com

The Court New York Deserves

We demand a new Chief Judge who will safeguard the rights of all New Yorkers, defend our democracy, and protect the most vulnerable. This is The Court New York Deserves.

thecourtnydeserves.com
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FCCCourtWatch retweeted
Blake Strode@BlakeStrode126 Apr 2024
I didn't realize anyone was still taking this process seriously. Or pretending to. stltoday.com/news/local/crim…

St. Louis jail board meets with inmate but frustrated that commissioner, lawyers were there

St. Louis on Thursday granted the oversight board for its embattled jail a meeting with an inmate for the first time since the board was created two years ago.

stltoday.com
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FCCCourtWatch retweeted
Amy Malinowski@AmyEAtty5 Apr 2024
Replying to @AmyEAtty @CourtWatchSTL
The report also notes the City has no policy against the use of mace on ppl w certain medical conditions. They provide no accommodations.
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FCCCourtWatch retweeted
Amy Malinowski@AmyEAtty5 Apr 2024
Important @CourtWatchSTL report below highlighting disparate impact carceral system has on ppl w disabilities - here's just a snapshot:
Mike Milton@MikeAMilton3144 Apr 2024
Last week @CourtWatchSTL released a report about how the @22ndCircuitSTL plays a role in caging the disabled, expands electronic monitoring, and uses nolle refile to trap black bodies in CJC. This is the result. Read the report here: static1.squarespace.com/stat…
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What is going on right now in @22ndCircuitSTL bond hearings may not be illegal - according to this oppressive systems laws - but it's definitely disturbing, and egregious. Please support and volunteer with @CourtWatchSTL, you are needed!
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As stated in our findings, the @22ndCircuitSTL overwhelmingly uses ‘No Bond’determinations regardless of charge. Leaving no option for people to be released, legally innocent. 1,140 ppl were trapped in the deadly St. Louis City Justice Center.
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Comprehensive bail reform, like in changes in Harris County Texas has proven to increase return to court and promote overall public safety in its city. statesman.com/story/opinion/…

No, bail reform didn't lead to a 'let-them-all-out' system in this Texas city | Commentary

A new report finds the reforms allow for accountability and preserve judges’ ability to detain people.

statesman.com
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Instead of following the status quo @22ndCircuitSTL could continue to expand supportive release instead of trapping people in a deadly jail for almost a year on average with racist, classist, and ableist pretrial practices. Read our report here: static1.squarespace.com/stat…
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The legal system claims to seek justice but the @22ndCircuitSTL is clearly obsessed surveillance, control and growing its own power by suppressing and caging lives of Black, poor and disabled people. The city’s pretrial system drives long pretrial stays. Which is violent.
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From July 2022 to July 2023 we analyzed over 3,000 bail hearings. to no surprise the @stlcao who is clearly appealing to a ‘law and order’ regime advocated for ‘No Bond’ 88% of the time.
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82% of the accused were Black even though the city is less than 50% Black. The system is displaying the same old racist tactics. You can read more of our report at: static1.squarespace.com/stat…
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Powerful piece about from our Executive Director @MikeAMilton314 and comrad Janis Mensah about the reality of The St. Louis City Justice Center. missouriindependent.com/2024…

Commentary: We left the St. Louis mayor’s jail board, but not the fight for the oppressed  •...

Our government deceived us.  We were both handpicked by city leaders to join a civilian jail oversight board after chaos ensued at St. Louis’ jail.  Chaos is too vague. Let’s be clear. Hell has...

missouriindependent.com
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Pretrial release is correlated with lower plea rates and a higher likelihood of one's case being dismissed. Courts weaponize underrepresentation to disenfranchise the accused. 82% of people only had access to an attorney who learned about their case minutes before their hearing.
January Court Watch: Attorney Type Initial Hearing Data: 82% State-Appointed Attorney 6% Private Attorney 12% Public Defender Secondary Hearing Data: 56% State-Appointed Attorney 24% Private Attorney 20% Public Defender

ALT January Court Watch: Attorney Type Initial Hearing Data: 82% State-Appointed Attorney 6% Private Attorney 12% Public Defender Secondary Hearing Data: 56% State-Appointed Attorney 24% Private Attorney 20% Public Defender

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While the overall no bond rate was 49%, we saw that people who expressed housing or mental health needs fared significantly worse than their counterparts who did not. Jail only exacerbates such needs. Despite that fact (or, perhaps, bc of it) they were still denied their freedom.
January Court Watch: Health + Housing 22 of 30 people presenting a mental health need received "no bond" determinations (73%) 17 of 30 people presenting a a medical need received "no bond" determinations (57%) 30 of 55 people presenting a substance use need received "no bond" determinations (55%) 8 of 11 people presenting a housing need received "no bond" determinations (73%)

ALT January Court Watch: Health + Housing 22 of 30 people presenting a mental health need received "no bond" determinations (73%) 17 of 30 people presenting a a medical need received "no bond" determinations (57%) 30 of 55 people presenting a substance use need received "no bond" determinations (55%) 8 of 11 people presenting a housing need received "no bond" determinations (73%)

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These disparities overwhelmingly impacted Black people in our City who comprised 82% of the people we saw in court last month despite making up less than half of the City's population.
January Court Watch: Racial Disparities St. Louis City Arrests : 16% White, 82% African American, 2% POC St. Louis City Population: 47% White, 45% African American, 8% PC (*population data from Census.gov 2019)

ALT January Court Watch: Racial Disparities St. Louis City Arrests : 16% White, 82% African American, 2% POC St. Louis City Population: 47% White, 45% African American, 8% PC (*population data from Census.gov 2019)

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Last month, the Circuit Attorney's Office recommended in 88% of hearings that people remain incarcerated. 89 more people would have been incarcerated if judge's followed their recommendations. It is common in election years for prosecutor's to push for harsher punishments.
Prosecutor Recommendations (January Court Watch) Bond recommendations by St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office: 88% no bond, 12% recognizance There would have been 89 more people incarcerated if the judge followed the prosecuting attorney's recommendation.

ALT Prosecutor Recommendations (January Court Watch) Bond recommendations by St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office: 88% no bond, 12% recognizance There would have been 89 more people incarcerated if the judge followed the prosecuting attorney's recommendation.

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The start of the new year brought with it the appointment of two new bail judges, Judges Hays and Dierker. They wasted no time in falling back into the old patterns of their predecessors, denying bond to more people (49%) than they released.
Pretrial Data (January Court Watch) No bond: 49% (127 hearings), Personal recognizance + conditions: 26% (66 hearings), Sponsored recognizance + conditions: 21% (54 hearings), Cash bond: 4% (10 hearings)

ALT Pretrial Data (January Court Watch) No bond: 49% (127 hearings), Personal recognizance + conditions: 26% (66 hearings), Sponsored recognizance + conditions: 21% (54 hearings), Cash bond: 4% (10 hearings)

Judge Scorecard (January Court Watch) Judge Dierker 78 cases; Average hearing time: 8 minutes No bond: 51%, Recognizance + conditions: 46%, Cash bond: 3% Judge Hays 141 cases; Average hearing time: 7 minutes No bond: 48%, Recognizance + conditions: 48% Cash bond: 4%

ALT Judge Scorecard (January Court Watch) Judge Dierker 78 cases; Average hearing time: 8 minutes No bond: 51%, Recognizance + conditions: 46%, Cash bond: 3% Judge Hays 141 cases; Average hearing time: 7 minutes No bond: 48%, Recognizance + conditions: 48% Cash bond: 4%

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65% of those who were granted pretrial release were confined by EM, a form of electronic surveillance that severely limits one's ability to access basic resources. Along with Shotspotter and red-light cameras, EM is another technology used to criminalize Black neighborhoods.
January Court Watch: GPS Monitoring Out of 130 hearings where people were released on bond, 84 people were confined by GPS monitoring (65%)

ALT January Court Watch: GPS Monitoring Out of 130 hearings where people were released on bond, 84 people were confined by GPS monitoring (65%)

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