The Justice Department enters its court fight against the city of Ferguson with the apparent upper hand, given a months-long investigation that found vast problems in the way police and courts treat poor people and minorities in the St. Louis suburb.

The city took a high stakes gamble by rejecting a settlement with the federal government.

As a result, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Ferguson. The department will look to prove in court the same constitutional violations it’s already alleged on paper: Baseless stops and searches of Black drivers, excessive use of force by officers and a profit-driven court system reliant on fines for petty violations.

Read more at JET.