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Federal Court Rules Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Violated Constitution

May 25, 2013 (1 min read)

"Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio relied on racial profiling and illegal detentions to target Latinos, a federal district court said today.  The ruling comes following a three-week trial in July and August 2012 over a pattern of unlawful practices by Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) on immigration sweeps and traffic stops. ... Today's decision permanently bars Arpaio and the MCSO from detaining or arresting Latino occupants of vehicles based solely on a reasonable belief that they are illegally present in the U.S.; using race as a factor in determining to stop a vehicle with a Latino occupant; using race as a factor in making law enforcement decisions regarding whether any Latino occupant of a vehicle may be in the country illegally; detaining Latino occupants of vehicles for periods of time longer than reasonably necessary to resolve a traffic violation without reasonable suspicion that they are violating state or federal criminal law, among other actions." - MALDEF, May 24, 2013.