Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Breaking: Federal Judge Declares Stop and Frisk Unconstitutional

Good news everybody.

Federal Judge Shira A. Scheindlin has ruled New York City’s Stop and Frisk program unconstitutional.

To fix the constitutional violations, Judge Scheindlin of Federal District Court in Manhattan said she intended to designate an outside lawyer, Peter L. Zimroth, to monitor the Police Department’s compliance with the Constitution.

The decision to install Mr. Zimroth, a partner in the New York office of Arnold & Porter, LLP, and a former corporation counsel and prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will leave the department under a degree of judicial control that is certain to shape the policing strategies under the next mayor.

Snip

She noted that about 88 percent of the stops result in the police letting the person go without an arrest or ticket, a percentage so high, she said, that it suggests there was not a credible suspicion to suspect the person of criminality in the first place.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08…

Our MSM is suggesting the city appealing is a done deal, completely seeming to ignore the constitutional issues the Judge Sheindlin outlined in their justification.  A curious position in that the bloviating head I saw Pete Williams spoke highly of press protections and other parts of the constitution as they applied to his class.  

Anyway no need to focus on the reactionary forces, it’s a good day.


10 comments

  1. Winning a case like this that can stop the unconstitutional activity is a huge first step. The appellants will have an uphill battle and will have to justify wasting taxpayer money on it.

    I hope the taxpayers tell them not to.

    I wonder how this will play out in the upcoming mayoral election. Will it become an issue? Who will it help or hurt?

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