St. Louis Police Board Ordered to Pay Attorney Fees and Fine over World Series Ticket Scandal

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Philip Heagney today ordered that the St. Louis Police Board of Commissioners pay a civil fine for violating the state's Sunshine Law.

The judge also ordered the board to pay the attorney fees of John Chasnoff, a University City resident who in 2007 sued the police board for access into an internal affairs investigation. Chasnoff, represented by the ACLU, seeks information regarding police officers accused of confiscating tickets from scalpers during the 2006 World Series and then passing those tickets along to family and friends.

Per Heagney's ruling today, the police board is to pay a $500 fine for the Sunshine Law violations and half of Chasnoff's attorney fees ($3,438.75) and $218 in court costs.

Speaking to Daily RFT today, Chasnoff says he's encouraged by the judge's ruling but is still waiting for the police board to comply with an April ruling in which the judge ordered the board to turn over all its internal affairs files into the World Series ticket scandal.

Police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross tells Daily RFT this afternoon that the board is considering whether or not to appeal today's ruling as well as the one made last month.

Chasnoff maintains that the full internal affairs investigation would reveal if any department brass was involved in the ticket scandal and whether Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce was justified in her decision not to pursue criminal charges in the case.