ST. LOUIS — After years of complaints, the St. Louis Public Safety Committee is considering overhauling access to the City Justice Center.
There are currently 680 detainees at the St. Louis City Justice Center.
"They are innocent until proven guilty,” Public Defender Matthew Mahaffey said.
However, defense attorneys claim they’re not being given proper access to their clients.
“It’s been well documented,” 7th Ward Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said. “It’s gotten to a point that even a judge has given an order.”
“Just this week I know that the judges were alerted again as to issues that the public defenders and other attorneys have had,” Attorney Susan McGraugh said. “It’s unsustainable.”
After hearing these complaints for years, the St. Louis Public Safety Committee is considering two ordinances that would guarantee ordained clergy and attorneys’ access to their clients.
“Let’s be clear why we’re here,” Attorney Javad Khazaeli said. “The St. Louis Justice Center is a cauldron of abuse and civil rights violations.”
Members of the St. Louis Public Defender’s Office testified that ongoing issues with the paper pass office have denied them the ability to give their clients legal documents.
“They say there is a possibility that we are somehow smuggling contraband to our clients via paper,” Public Defender Erika Wurst said. “That we have perhaps dipped our paperwork in PCP or some other narcotic or drug.”
Multiple attorneys also testified that they were denied access to the jail because they had their phone or computer for discovery
“These devices are essential to your defense,” Khazaeli said.
Though no action was taken by the committee on either ordinance, attorney Javad Khazaeli outlined what would happen if changes aren’t made.
“If this body does not make the jail change this will play out in one way,” Khazaeli said. “That is with organizations like mine suing the jail and getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions of dollars in damages.”
Members of the committee said they invited both Sheriff Betts and Commissioner Clemons-Abdullah to the Public Safety Committee meeting, but they didn’t respond.
If the ordinances pass, Betts, Clemons-Abdullah and jail staff could be fined up to $500 per denied entry at the City Justice Center.