so maybe Ferguson PD incites deliberately to arrest and FINE protestors!

[grasswire]

We have puzzled on DU over the brazen escalation of violent confrontations by the Ferguson PD. We asked why? We said it appears deliberate and calculated. We tried to understand why the police would enrage the citizenry so.

And we know that the law enforcement and courts there have conspired to trap citizens in a scheme of arrests and fines and court costs -- a scheme that is lucrative to the system, and oppressing to the citizens.

Put those two phenomenon together.

Perhaps TPTB there are very happy to be arresting more and more protestors. Those arrests mean warrants and fines and jail time and a lot of money and misery.

A community monetized by police and courts.

Wow.

And the side benefit is disenfranchisement of local voters.

[Bjorn Against]

1. It is not so lucrative when the fines get dropped and the lawsuits get filed

Many of the arrests will not hold up in court and there will be several lawsuits, the city of Ferguson will probably have to pay out millions in lawsuits for what they have done just so far. They are not going to make any money off this, it could even bankrupt them.

[VanGoghRocks]

3. Would a city carry liability insurance to shield itself from such an

eventuality (bankruptcy from tortious behavior by its employees)? I know absolutely nothing about this, so just putting the question out there for everyone to chew on.

[Bjorn Against]

5. They do usually have some insurance, although it generally only goes so far

I don't know what kind of insurance the city of Ferguson has, but no insurance company will cover anything and everything.

[VanGoghRocks]

6. I imagine there are some insurance company execs somewhere shitting their pants, although

I think the insurance industry operates much like bookmakers, laying off risk onto other re-insurance providers. I hope somewhere some bean counter is shitting his or her pants b/c he or she failed to price in a 'racism risk premium.' And thus concludes my knowledge and experience of the insurance industry

[grasswire]

2. what is the adjudication of those who have been arrested so far?

Have there been fines levied?

Are protestors sitting in jail?

Are there police reports for each of them?

A protest could be a huge cash cow for Ferguson, considering the history of oppressive warrants and fines.

[Bjorn Against]

4. I don't think you realize how often charges against protesters get dropped

The First Amendment tends to be far more effective in courts than it is in the street, judges often dismiss cases against protesters. Once cases are dismissed lawsuits are commonly filed, and there are going to be some big lawsuits. The police are cracking down on protesters because they don't like being exposed and they want to punish the people who expose them, they are not doing it for money. Even if no cases were dropped the fines would never make up the cost of the police overtime they are paying for this, it is not cheap having a militarized police force on the streets all night.

[VanGoghRocks]

7. One other thought occurs to me -- it's no longer just the Ferguson PD that's on

the hook for damages. Once responsibility passed to St. Louis County, I assume the County acquired at least vicarious liability for torts committed by its agents (or agents acting at its behest). And what about the state of Missouri? Perhaps MO may find itself making some payments also.

IANAL so this is all pure speculation on my part. One thing I have always heard is that lawyers always look for the 'deep pockets.' I'd love to see the wealthy racist elite of St. Louis County take a hit to their portfoilos in the form of special assessments required to meet the liabilities their LEOs exposed the county to.