Audit faults municipal court fees in St. Ann, Foristell

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two small cities in suburban St. Louis have scrapped certain municipal court fees in response to critical state audits.

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway on Tuesday released audits of the Foristell and St. Ann courts.

Her office found Foristell, in St. Charles and Warren counties, assessed a "potentially improper" $100 warrant fee for failing to appear in court or paying fines on time.

The audit of St. Ann in St. Louis County identified $38,000 in questionable revenue from police use of a $25 fee to process cash bond payments and a $10 fee to process credit card bond payments.

Both cities told Galloway they have stopped collecting those payments.

The audits are a response to protests over municipal court fees after the 2014 fatal Ferguson police shooting.