Ferguson City Council Accepts DOJ Decree

The Ferguson, Missouri, City Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly accepted a deal made with the Justice Department to overhaul its courts and police practices to better protect citizens’ rights. The unanimous vote in favor of the consent decree comes a month after the council voted not to approve the plan, which was negotiated for months between city officials and the DOJ. The council argued that implementing part of the plan would be too costly, and voted to amend the plan instead of passing it. The DOJ filed a lawsuit a day later, putting pressure on city officials to approve the measure. Tuesday’s approval is expected to resolve the lawsuit, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.