BROOKSIDE, Ala. — The town of Brookside has agreed to a proposed $1.5 million class-action settlement that would compensate thousands of drivers and impose sweeping reforms after years of allegations that the town ran a “policing-for-profit” scheme built on aggressive ticketing and towing.
The settlement, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Alabama and awaiting judicial approval, stems from a 2022 class-action lawsuit that accused Brookside of using its police department and municipal court to generate revenue in violation of motorists’ constitutional rights. The lawsuit, Coleman v. Town of Brookside, was filed April 4, 2022, on behalf of drivers stopped and towed by Brookside police beginning in 2018.
Under the proposal, $1 million would go to people whose vehicles were towed at the direction of Brookside police, and $500,000 would be paid to people charged in Brookside Municipal Court between March 1, 2018, and Aug. 1, 2022. The town has agreed that the entire $1.5 million will go to class members, with plaintiffs’ attorneys not seeking legal fees from the fund, according to the Institute for Justice, the public interest law firm representing the plaintiffs.
The case drew national attention after reports showed that, under former Police Chief Mike Jones, fines and forfeitures in Brookside soared by more than 600 percent in two years, eventually accounting for roughly 49 percent of the town’s revenue. With fewer than 1,300 residents, Brookside used the money to expand its force, purchase unmarked SUVs and military-style equipment and build out a K-9 unit and tactical team, according to court filings and the Institute for Justice.
Plaintiffs alleged that officers routinely made dubious traffic stops, stacked multiple charges, and ordered vehicles towed even when drivers could legally drive away, leaving motorists — including families with children — stranded on dark rural roads. Between 2018 and 2020, annual tows allegedly jumped from about 50 to 789, while drivers were required to pay hundreds of dollars in release and court fees to recover their vehicles.
The federal complaint argued that Brookside’s reliance on fines, fees and towing revenue created an unconstitutional financial conflict of interest for town officials, prosecutors and the municipal judge, violating the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Department of Justice weighed in on July 26, 2022, filing a statement of interest that warned profit-based court and policing systems undermine impartial justice and highlighted Brookside as an example of over-policing for revenue.
The proposed settlement would not only pay out money but also reshape how Brookside polices and funds itself. Under the agreement, Brookside would permanently eliminate its vehicle retrieval fee, withdraw regular police patrols from Interstate 22 for 10 years except in emergencies, and sharply limit the share of town revenue that can come from policing and code enforcement for the next 30 years. The deal also calls for transparency and a formal acknowledgment that the town’s prior practices raised serious constitutional concerns and damaged public trust.
Brookside’s ticketing and towing practices triggered a wave of scrutiny starting in 2022, including local and national media investigations, resident protests and additional lawsuits. The controversy led to the resignation of Jones as police chief and prompted Alabama lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing excessive ticketing by small municipalities that rely heavily on fines and fees.
The Coleman case was consolidated for pretrial purposes with related suits, including Wattson v. Town of Brookside and Thomas v. Town of Brookside, as judges sought to handle similar claims about vehicle seizures and municipal court practices together. In 2023, U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco denied motions to dismiss by the town and its towing contractor, ruling that plaintiffs could challenge Brookside’s practices as an unlawful policy rather than a handful of isolated incidents.
If the newly proposed settlement receives preliminary approval, affected drivers will be notified and given a chance to file claims or opt out before a final fairness hearing. The lawsuit remains formally pending while the court reviews whether the $1.5 million agreement and the long-term reforms are fair, reasonable and adequate for the thousands of people who say they were caught up in Brookside’s policing-for-profit system.