| Obama's DOJ Going After Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio |
| May-10-2012 |
| Keywords: obama, clooney, fundraiser |
The Obama administration is issuing Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, accusing him and his Maricopa County office of engaging in a pattern of discrimination against Latinos.
Today's announcement by Justice Department officials came after months of negotiations that failed to settle claims that his department racially profiled Latinos.
The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix alleges, "The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) and Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio have engaged and continue to engage in a pattern or practice of unlawful discriminatory police conduct directed at Latinos in Maricopa County and jail practices that unlawfully discriminate against Latino prisoners with limited English language skills."
The court filing also states that, "Latinos in Maricopa County are frequently stopped, detained, and arrested on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and Latino prisoners with limited English language skills are denied important constitutional protections. In addition, Defendants MCSO and Arpaio pursue a pattern or practice of illegal retaliation against their perceived critics by subjecting them to baseless criminal actions, unfounded civil lawsuits, or meritless administrative actions."
Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, at a press conference Thursday, described this as an abuse of power case. He accused the sheriff of scuttling negotiations by refusing to allow independent monitors.
Prior to today's announcement, Sheriff Arpaio was informed of the DOJ's intentions. To which he responded in a press conference on Wednesday.
"If they sue, we'll go to court," he said. "And then we'll find out the real story. They're telling me how to run my organization. I'd like to get this resolved, but I'm not going to give up my authority to the federal government. It's as simple as that." |
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Posted by Lou Dobbs Staff at 3:00 PM Email to a friend |
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