Sheriff Joe's Civil Rights Trial Concludes, Awaiting Further Briefing and Decision

 

ImmigrationProf has been covering the federal civil rights trial of Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio, which ended yesterday. Bloomberg News reports that "U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow in Phoenix . . . told lawyers yesterday he needs more data on the operation plans for the sheriff’s so- called saturation patrols in which his deputies are accused of making racially motivated traffic stops."  Final briefs in the case, which was tried without a jury, are due on August 16.  The lawsuit, which seeks injunctive relief, was brought on behalf of a class of all Latinos who, since January 2007, have been stopped, detained, questioned or searched by sheriff office’s agents in Maricopa County.

Among counsel for the the class are the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Mexican Legal Defense and Education Fund.

For commentary on the trial from Jude Joffe-Block of KJZZ (Phoenix), click here.  For an account highly critical of the defendants in the Phoenix New Times, click here.

KJ