FERGUSON, Mo.—Defiance has often defined Ferguson in the 18 months since a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown and provoked an examination of how poor people and minorities are treated in the St. Louis suburb.
The latest defiant act—rejecting some parts of a Justice Department agreement to reform the city’s police and courts—could result in an expensive court battle.
Justice Department and Ferguson officials spent seven months negotiating before reaching a deal announced in January. But after a detailed financial analysis pegged the potential cost at up to $3.7 million in the first year alone, the Ferguson City Council had second thoughts.
On Tuesday, the council voted 6-0 to approve an amended version that asks the federal government to change seven provisions in the agreement to keep the city solvent.
