ArchCity Defenders

May 7, 2025

St. Louis settles lawsuit alleging inhumane conditions at former jail

St. Louis has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that inmates at a former medium-security jail were housed in “inhumane conditions” that included rodent feces in food, infestations of bugs and snakes, and unbearable overcrowding.

Mar 27, 2020

$1.7M settlement reached for Ferguson court fee abuses

A judge on March 24 granted preliminary approval of a $1.7 million settlement in a widely publicized class-action lawsuit against the city of Ferguson for charging court fees alleged to […]

Mar 26, 2020

Ferguson settles municipal court fees lawsuit for $1.7M

The city of Ferguson, Missouri, has agreed to a $1.7 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit that accused its municipal court of charging illegal court fees, attorneys involved in the […]

Mar 13, 2020

UPDATE: Missouri Supreme Court suspends most in-person proceedings at state courts

Several courts and public legal organizations across Missouri and beyond have taken steps, including suspending jury trials and high-volume dockets, to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feb 28, 2020

8th Circuit lifts injunction on St. Louis bail practices

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out a federal court ruling that had limited cash bail practices in the city of St. Louis. The Feb. 28 ruling […]

Feb 7, 2020

Man at center of board bills ruling sues county

The man at the center of a precedent-setting Missouri Supreme Court decision on board bills has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the county that charged him for his incarceration […]

Jan 27, 2020

Legal champion: Blake A. Strode, ArchCity Defenders

ArchCity Defenders, the St. Louis-based civil rights law firm, marked its 10th anniversary in November 2019. As its staff and supporters looked back at its milestones of the past decade, […]

Nov 4, 2019

ArchCity Defenders mark 10 years of service, activism

As ArchCity Defenders prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend, its mission has expanded but its original goals — to prevent and end homelessness — remain at its core, […]

Dec 4, 2018

ArchCity receives 2018 Thomas Merton Award

ArchCity Defenders, a nonprofit civil-rights law firm based in St. Louis, was presented with the 2018 Thomas Merton Award during the Thomas Merton Center’s 46th annual celebration held in Pittsburgh, […]