Judge orders monitor appointed to oversee controversial Arizona sheriff

Oct 3, 2013 - 0 Comments

Oct. 2, 2013 Reuters - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday ordered a monitor be appointed to oversee the work of hardline Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio to ensure that his officers no longer use racial profiling in stops of Latino drivers in a crackdown on illegal immigration.

U.S. District Judge Murray Snow had in May ordered the Maricopa County sheriff to stop using race as a factor in law enforcement decisions, in response to a lawsuit brought by Hispanic drivers that tested whether police could target illegal immigrants without profiling U.S. citizens and legal residents of Hispanic origin.

On Wednesday, the same judge ordered parties in the case to agree on the selection of a monitor within 60 days to oversee the work of the 81-year-old lawman, who styles himself as "America's toughest sheriff."

The ruling also orders the sheriff's office to bolster its public outreach efforts, and mandates that deputies must tell dispatchers the reason for any traffic stops before approaching a vehicle. Read More

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