Edmundson, Missouri, wrongful incarceration $386K class action settlement

A class action settlement valued at over $386,000 is available to individuals who faced wrongful incarceration by Edmundson, Missouri.

The settlement benefits individuals (1) who were arrested or incarcerated by, (2) who paid a fee, fine, cost or surcharge to or (3) who were subject to an arrest warrant from the city of Edmundson between Dec. 12, 2013, and July 1, 2021 — Classes 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Edmundson is a town in St. Louis County that primarily holds the St. Louis Lambert International Airport. According to plaintiffs in the case, the city of Edmundson wrongfully arrested and incarcerated people because they couldn’t afford to pay for traffic fines and expenses from other minor offenses. The incarceration class action lawsuit argues these actions violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights. 

ArchCity Defenders, who served as counsel for the plaintiffs, say these practices generated $2.2 million in revenue for the municipal court between 2012 and 2016. This revenue was generated at the expense of poor and Black individuals, the plaintiffs contend.

The city of Edmundson hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve these wrongful incarceration allegations with a class action lawsuit settlement. 

According to the settlement website, the total recovery for the settlement class is valued at $386,022. Under the terms of the deal, class members can collect cash payments based on their class membership. 

Members of Class 1 who were arrested or incarcerated can receive a cash payment based on the number of hours they spent in jail. Payments are not available for the first six hours of arrest. For hours six to 48, class members will be compensated at a rate of $7.50 per hour. For all additional hours, class members will be compensated at a rate of $15 per hour.

Members of Class 2 who paid fines or other expenses to the city of Edmundson can receive a one time payment of $60. 

Members of Class 3 who had a warrant for their arrest can collect a cash payment of $20. 

Class Members can receive payments from both Class 1 and Class 2 or Class 1 and Class 3, but cannot receive payments from both Class 2 and Class 3. 

The deadline for exclusion was July 19, 2022. 

The deadline for objection is Sept. 30, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the Edmundson wrongful incarceration settlement is scheduled for Nov. 9, 2022.

In order to receive a cash payment from the wrongful incarceration settlement, class members must submit a valid claim form by Sept. 30, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits individuals (1) who were arrested or incarcerated by, (2) who paid a fee, fine, cost or surcharge to or (3) who were subject to an arrest warrant from the city of Edmundson between Dec. 12, 2013, and July 1, 2021 — Classes 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase applicable

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

09/30/2022

Case Name

Thomas, et al. v. The City of Edmundson, Case No. 4:18-CV-02071-RLW, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

Final Hearing

11/09/2022

Settlement Website

EdmundsonClassAction.com

Claims Administrator

Edmundson Class Action
c/o Atticus Administration
PO Box 64053
Saint Paul, MN 55164
888-380-2225

Class Counsel

John M. Waldron
Maureen Hanlon
Nathaniel Carroll
ARCHCITY DEFENDERS INC

S. Zachary Fayne
ARNOLD & PORTER KAYE SCHOLER LLP

Defense Counsel

Jason S. Retter
William A. Hellmich
Blake D. Hil
HELLMICH HILL & RETTER LLC