. >> reporter: quentin thomas worries he will be pulled over by small town police. >> these traffic stops have caused me a lot career jobs. >> reporter: in the past four years he has been ordered to pay $1200 for fees and traffic violations and spend eight days in jail when he couldn't pay. he is part of a lawsuit accusing the towns for arresting residents. >> no one is arguing there sdn punishments but we can't hold people in jail because they are too par to pay a debt. >> reporter: last year the towns were so aggressive they issued one arrest warrant for every adult and the suit contends they are in it together. failing to appear in a charge in one generates a warrant for others to use as a chance to make an arrest and collect more money. similar court practices contributed to the resentment that led to rioting in ferguson, missouri after the shooting of for their part several of the towns say they take in less through their courts than state law allows and every case begins when someone actually breaks the law. >> the laws are there for a reason. it's not filling coffers, it's got ever

. >> reporter: quentin thomas, a construction worker from st. louis, says every time he gets behind the wheel, he worries he will be pulled over by small town police. >> these traffic stops have cost me a lot of money, also have cost me, you know, career jobs. past four years, he says he's been ordered to pay $1200 in fines and fees for traffic violations and to spend eight days in jail when he couldn't pay. he is part of a newly filed class-action lawsuit accusing 13 area st. louis towns for arresting and jailing poor and minority residents to squeeze money out of them turning traffic courts into cash cows. >> no one is arguing there shouldn't be punishments but we can't hold people in debt. >> reporter: last year alone, the lawsuit says, the touns were so aggressive, they issued one arrest warrant for every adult. and the suit contends the towns are in it together. they say failing to appear in a charge in one generates a warrant for others to use as a chance to make an arrest and collect more money the justice department found similar court p