Civil rights activists in Ferguson who are tied – directly or indirectly, in principle and mission – to the Black Lives Matter movement, cheered a municipal judge’s order to withdraw all arrest warrants the court issued within city boundaries prior to Dec. 31, 2014.
The order, from Municipal Court Judge Donald McCullin, who was appointed to his role in June, came on the heels of tense and violent protests that have rocked the community since August 2014, when white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed black 18-year-old Michael Brown. Separate internal and Department of Justice investigations concluded Wilson acted out of self defense, but blacks in the community rose in protest, alleging a racial injustice had been committed and calling for widespread reform to the local government and courts. From these protests came the nationally known Black Lives Matter movement, used as a rallying call for other police shootings in the past year.
McCullin has now given all those who’ve been issued arrest warrants a chance to reschedule their court dates and, if found guilty, pay for their crimes in money or community service, rather than jail time. CNN reported the suspects won’t actually be arrested now, but rather allowed to remain free until their new court dates.
The move comes in part because of the Department of Justice’s finding local officials used the court system to unfairly target blacks.
“As an activist, you are going to stay mad because you are not going to always get all that you want,” said Patricia Bynes, a Ferguson Township Democratic committeewoman who’s been active in the protest movement, CNN reported. “But because of the pushing and the pressure that protesters put on Ferguson, I am considering it a win and a very big win. It’s an olive branch.”
