RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Reinforcing the Web of Municipal Courts: Evidence and Implications Post-Ferguson JF RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences FD Russell Sage Foundation SP 108 OP 127 DO 10.7758/RSF.2022.8.1.05 VO 8 IS 1 A1 Huebner, Beth M. A1 Giuffre, Andrea YR 2022 UL http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/8/1/108.abstract AB Investigations in Ferguson, Missouri, revealed that many individuals, particularly Black people, entered the criminal justice system for relatively minor offenses, missed court appearances, or failure to pay fines. Municipal courts were focused on revenue generation, which led to aggressive enforcement of municipal codes. Although subsequent reforms were passed, little is known about whether and how the legislative changes influenced the law-in-action in the municipal courts. Using data from qualitative interviews with St. Louis area residents and regional court actors, as well as court observations, this article documents the legal structure of municipal courts in the region after Ferguson. We address how the parochial nature of municipal courts in St. Louis County perpetuates the financial marginalization of residents through the layering of punishment, and how the state legal structure further facilitates control, even after reform.