{"id":14638,"date":"2015-08-13T20:40:34","date_gmt":"2015-08-14T03:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14638"},"modified":"2015-08-13T20:42:40","modified_gmt":"2015-08-14T03:42:40","slug":"feds-will-also-monitor-arizona-sheriff-arpaio-to-ensure-discrimination-against-hispanics-stops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14638","title":{"rendered":"Feds Will Also Monitor Arizona Sheriff Arpaio to Ensure Discrimination Against Hispanics Stops (News Videos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARIZONA<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"U.S.<\/a>A U.S. District Court today granted a motion by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division<\/strong> to intervene in the lawsuit \u00a0\u2014 Melendres vs. Arpaio<\/strong> \u2014 brought against Maricopa County Sheriff’ Joseph M. Arpaio.<\/p>\n

The tough-talking sheriff allegedly targeted Hispanics for traffic stops and at worksites, officials said. \u00a0He also allegedly retaliated against his critics and conducting an investigation against a federal judge who was presiding over the Civil Rights case.<\/p>\n

InMelendres, the federal court found in May 2013 that the Maricopa County Sheriff\u2019s Office \u00a0had engaged in unlawful discrimination against Hispanic persons in its traffic enforcement operations in violation of the Fourth and 14thAmendments to the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a party in the Melendres case, the Department of Justice can now work together with the court, the plaintiffs and the independent monitor to ensure that the Maricopa County Sheriff\u2019s Office meaningfully implements the court-ordered reforms so that the constitutional rights of all people of Maricopa County are protected,\u201d said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Kappelhoff of the Civil Rights Division<\/strong>.\u00a0 \u201cThe Constitution guarantees that all people receive the equal protection of the law, and the department is now positioned to ensure that this important right is upheld.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Last month, the department reached a partial settlement in a lawsuit against Maricopa County and Sheriff Arpaio, resolving claims not addressed in this intervention.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, the department, court, plaintiffs and independent monitor can work to ensure the Sheriff\u2019s office implements the court-ordered reforms.<\/p>\n

\"Maricopa<\/a>In October 2013, the court issued an injunction setting forth specific reforms for the Sheriff’s law enforcement practices and appointed an independent monitor to oversee implementation of the injunction.<\/p>\n

In June, the U.S. District Court of the District of Arizona granted the department\u2019s motion for summary judgment on its discriminatory policing claim, based on the court\u2019s findings in Melendres.<\/p>\n

The department filed for intervention in Melendres so that it may enforce the court\u2019s injunction and any future remedies ordered by the court to address Sheriff Arpaio\u2019s and Sheriff”s Office alleged violations of the court\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n

The department has had an ongoing parallel lawsuit against Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County since May 2012.<\/p>\n

(ABC 15 TV News Report \u2014 March 20, 2015)<\/strong>
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