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Notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Court to Face Racial Profiling Charges
Jul 19, 2012
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County is in court Thursday to face allegations that his office engaged in systematic racial profiling, violating the civil rights of the Latino community and others caught up in the county's sweeping measures on immigration.
Arpaio faces a class action lawsuit that "charges that Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") have unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops. MCSO's practices discriminate on the basis of race, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and have resulted in prolonged traffic stops and baseless extended detentions, in violation of the Fourth Amendment."
"At trial we will prove that Sheriff Arpaio's fixation on immigration enforcement and his equating of, quote, 'illegal' with 'Latino' has resulted in systemic civil rights violations," said Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Regardless of the verdict, similar anti-immigrant behavior is not likely to end, because, as Michelle Chen writes, Arpaio is merely "a symptom of a lesion that runs deep in America's political culture."
The trial ends Aug. 2.
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