NPAP Wins Major Victory in Missouri Court of Appeals, Protecting Voters from Misleading Ballot Measure

St. Louis, MO – The National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) has successfully challenged the ballot language of Missouri’s SJR 71, a controversial initiative that would have allowed court fees to be used to fund police pensions and prosecutor salaries, creating a significant conflict of interest. The Missouri Court of Appeals ruled in NPAP’s favor, ensuring that voters will now have clearer and more accurate information ahead of the November election.

Who: NPAP, a national organization dedicated to ending law enforcement abuses and ensuring accountability, led the legal challenge.

What: The court’s ruling blocks misleading language that would have funneled court fees into police pensions and prosecutor salaries. The concern was that such a measure could incentivize law enforcement to excessively fine vulnerable individuals, further deepening systemic issues of exploitation and unfair financial burdens.

When: The ruling was delivered on September 3, 2024 just in time to impact the November ballot.

Where: This ruling affects the state of Missouri, but the implications could resonate nationwide, setting a precedent for how law enforcement funding is structured in other states.

Why: NPAP filed the lawsuit to protect Missouri voters from being misled into supporting a measure that compromises transparency and fairness in the justice system. The court’s decision ensures that voters are fully informed when they go to the polls.

How: NPAP’s legal team challenged the language of the ballot measure in court, arguing that it violated principles of transparency and could lead to further exploitation of vulnerable communities through excessive fines. The court agreed, ruling in favor of a more transparent and fair process for voters.

“This ruling is a huge win for Missouri voters,” said Lauren Bonds, NPAP Executive Director. “Giving communities a say in how law enforcement is funded—and making sure they have the full truth when making that decision—is crucial for accountability.”

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For more information or to request an interview with NPAP’s legal team, please contact:

media.npap@nlg.org

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National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) is a 501(c)(3) organization and a project of the National Lawyers Guild, which was founded in 1937 as the first racially integrated national bar association. In 1999, NPAP was created as a non-profit to protect the human and civil rights of individuals in their encounters with law enforcement and detention facility personnel. The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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