NORTH ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
Several thousand turned out for the opportunity to make misdemeanor arrest warrants disappear Saturday in north St. Louis. The "Better Family Life" group's Metropolitan St. Louis Amnesty Project launched Saturday with massive lines and relief to go with it.Better Family Life's James Clark says the big numbers tell the story.
"This is a demonstration to show how big of an issue this whole misdemeanor warrant thing is," he says.
For the past two years, the Amnesty Project only took on traffic offenders. This year, it expanded to all misdemeanor warrants. To the dismay of critics, those include some minor drug offenses, but the vast majority of people in line were dealing with traffic issues.
Participants could show up at Saturday's event in Ivory Perry Park or a Sunday event scheduled for the Connect Care location at Delmar and Deballiver. After paying a $5 processing fee and sitting through a short seminar, they received an amnesty certificate. They take that to court, where, after paying $100 toward their fine, they could get a new court date and have any warrants waived. Participants still have to deal with the charges they're facing.
Organizers getting rid of the warrants is going to pay benefits for people down on their luck, and the economy as well. For many, these warrants stand in the way of jobs.
"People are unable to find employment," Clark says. "People are unable to find housing. Having outstanding warrants is a very big hurdle."
Many also believe this gives police the opportunity to focus back on bigger priorities.
"A lot of the reasons why people are here don't make sense," Christina Short told us while waiting in line. "Traffic tickets, there's bigger problems to worry about than whether someone renewed their license within the five days that it expired."
While roughly forty area communities, including St. Louis city and county, are taking part, many in line are quick to point to places like Florissant, Ferguson, University City, and Maryland Heights, who's courts haven't joined the amnesty program.
Organizers were hesitant to criticize those communities.
"We are really not concerned about those that did not participate," Clark said. "We celebrate the ones who are."
Participants say it's a way to put an end to daily worry.
"Driving, yeah, you will be paranoid wondering when they're coming after you," Paul First says.
Better family life says there could be additions to the list of those taking part, but, as of Saturday morning, these were the participants:
City of Bel-Ridge City of Berkeley City of Beverly Hills City of Black Jack City of Breckenridge Hills City of Charlack City of Country Club Hills City of Vinita Terrace City of Clarkson Valley City of Cool Valley City of Dellwood City of Eureka City of Fenton City of Greendale City of Hazelwood City of Kinloch City of Maplewood City of Marlborough City of Moline Acres City of Normandy City of North Woods City of Overland City of Pacific City of Pagedale City of Pine Lawn City of Spanish Lake City of St. Ann City of St. John City of St. Louis St. Louis County City of Sycamore Hills City of Town and Country City of Velda City Village of Uplands Park Village of Velda Village Hills City of Vinita Park City of Wellston
A second event is scheduled for Sunday August 15 at the Connect Care facility located at 5535 Delmar, near Deballiver. It runs from 9am to 3pm.
