This morning, a federal judge ruled that the NYPD's highly-controversial "stop-and-frisk" initiative violated the constitutional rights of thousands of New Yorkers. Furthermore, Judge Shira A. Scheindlin recommended a federal monitor guide large-scale reform of the practice.
Scheindlin's 195-page decision said that the NYPD had been harassing innocent people—typically young, minority males—while searching for weapons and drugs. Furthermore, the number of stop-and-frisks increased as the crime rate gradually declined over the past decade, exhibiting what the New York Times called a "widespread disregard" for the Fourth Amendment.
Judge Scheindlin appointed attorney Peter L. Zimroth to ensure that the NYPD adheres to the constitution. The decision came after Scheindlin determined that police crossed boundaries when considering supposed "suspicious behavior." Schneidlin also found that 88 percent of stops ended with police releasing people without an arrest or ticket, proving that there was never a justifiable reason to stop them.
This is a huge ruling and will hopefully set the tone for a good week.
[via New York Times]
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