Valley Park releases information on litigation costs
Legal bills mount over its defense of illegal-immigration laws

Rick Graefe photo/ This photo shows Valley Park City Hall.

By Mary Shapiro
Monday, November 24, 2008 11:55 AM CST

Valley Park City Attorney Eric Martin has released information on the costs to taxpayers — totaling more than $273,000 over the last two years — from the city defending a variety of lawsuits related to its illegal-immigration laws.

He provided the information to Mayor Grant Young and the Board of Aldermen on Monday, Nov. 17, after some aldermen and residents, including former Alderman Dan Adams, requested the amounts.

Among the lawsuits and costs to the city and taxpayers:

* In 2006, 28 lawyers from the Catholic Legal Assistance, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Washington University Civil Rights Clinic, St. Louis University Legal Clinic and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) brought suit, without charge to plaintiffs, representing landlords Stephanie Reynolds (now an alderman), Florence Streeter and Jacqueline Gray to void city laws restricting housing of and employment of those in the U.S. illegally.



Before trial, Valley Park voided the laws challenged in the suit and enacted new ones. The St. Louis County Circuit Court restricted the city from enforcing the repealed laws, finding them void. The court also denied the plaintiffs’ requests for attorneys’ fees and penalties. (Attorneys’ fees for the 28 lawyers are believed to be more than $200,000, Martin said). The court also denied the plaintiffs’ requests for expenses of $24,612.18.

The costs for Martin and two other attorneys to defend the city were $113,806.60.

* In 2007, lawyers from Bryan Cave, St. Louis University Clinic, Washington University Civil Rights Clinic, the Metropolitan Equal Housing Opportunity Commission and others filed suit to challenge the new laws enacted by the city that superseded its repealed laws regulating landlords renting to illegal aliens.



Following the city’s repeal of those landlord-tenant laws, the court dismissed the case and denied the same plaintiffs’ request for attorney fees. The costs for Martin were $8,212.50.

* Later in 2007, lawyers filed requests for two contempt citations against then-Mayor Jeff Whitteaker and the city, accusing them of violating a court order by enacting new illegal-immigration laws. A trial court denied the same plaintiffs’ requests for attorney fees and fines. The costs for Martin were $4,812.50.
* A 2007 appeal by the plaintiffs over denial of attorney fees, and an appeal by the city concerning a lower court ruling against it when the city previously repealed laws, led to the Missouri Court of Appeals upholding the denial of attorney fees and dismissing the city’s appeal. The costs for Martin were $8,575.
* Later in 2007, another appeal by the plaintiffs concerning the lower court’s dismissal of the second lawsuit led to the Missouri Court of Appeals dismissing that appeal. The costs for Martin were $1,125.
* Even later in 2007, another appeal by the plaintiffs, concerning the court finding in favor of Valley Park on the plaintiffs’ application for a citation of contempt against the city, was withdrawn by the plaintiffs prior to oral arguments. The costs for Martin were $13,175.
* In 2008, Stephanie Reynolds and her husband, William, and Streeter filed separate suits against the city, accusing it of violating fair-housing laws, alleging city laws discriminated against Hispanics. The Reynoldses also claimed they were retaliated against by the city due to its citing the couple for housing violations, which they claimed was due to their involvement in litigation. But the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which administers fair-housing laws, found no probable cause and dismissed their complaints. The costs for Martin were $5,600.
* In 2007, MALDEF and the ACLU both filed suits in St. Louis County Circuit Court to void the Valley Park employment law requiring licensed businesses to hire only people lawfully in the United States. The case later was removed to U.S. District Court, which upheld the city’s right to enact the law and denied relief to MALDEF and the ACLU, which also sought attorneys’ fees. The costs for Martin and another attorney were $115,718.93.
* In 2008, MALDEF and the ACLU appealed the U.S. District Court ruling to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn the ruling on procedural grounds. That case is scheduled for argument in December. So far, Martin’s costs are $2,575.



You can contact Mary Shapiro at mshapiro@yourjournal.com.
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