Non-Violent Charges Dismissed Against Peaceful Demonstrators In Kansas City

Press release from the City of Kansas City:

June 29, 2020

The City Prosecutor has dismissed 202 charges against people who were cited by KC Police for non-violent offenses during recent demonstrations.

The dismissals were made possible following action by the City Council, which approved Ordinance #200415 on June 18, 2020. The ordinance called for the dismissal of seven types of charges, for citations issued by police May 29 through June 2, in specific areas of the city, if the charges were not linked to violent acts.

The City Prosecutor’s Office reviewed more than 1,700 citations to determine which charges met the ordinance’s criteria. Individuals whose charges have been dismissed will receive a letter from Municipal Court this week.

“We moved quickly to review the cases, given the direction provided by the City Council,” said City Attorney Matt Gigliotti. “The ordinance necessitated an additional review of every citation captured by the new law, which we completed during the 10 days between when the ordinance passed Council and when it became effective.”

City Councilmembers listened to dozens of members of the public who spoke out during debate on this issue and read hundreds of comments submitted to the Council. To submit public testimony on any upcoming ordinance, send your comments to publictestimony@kcmo.org. Please include the ordinance number and topic in your subject line.

Municipal Court offers easy ways to check the status of any pending case, 24/7, by visiting kcmo.gov/court to look up information by your name or case number. If the case has been dismissed, it will not be viewable online.

Individuals who posted a cash bond will receive a refund check from the city within 10-14 business days of disposition of the case. Those who used a bonding company should contact their bonding company for information.

This press release was produced by the City of Kansas City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.