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Feds: Sheriff Joe Violated Civil Rights

Arpaio conducted 'egregious' racial profiling: Justice Department

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 15, 2011 2:11 PM CST

(Newser) – Tough times ahead for America's Toughest Sheriff: The Justice Department has accused Joe Arpaio of major civil rights violations. Arpaio's office committed what a top Justice official called the most egregious racial profiling he'd ever come across, the AP reports. Arpaio also conducted immigration "sweeps" prompted by reports of Latinos simply gathering without committing crimes, according to the department's report. Now, Arpaio will have to establish anti-discrimination policies under a judge's supervision—or face a federal lawsuit.

In Arpaio's Maricopa County, Latinos were four to nine times more likely to face traffic stops than non-Latinos; some 20% of Arpaio's immigrant-smuggling squad's traffic reports involved stopping mostly Latino drivers without legitimate suspicion. Legal immigrants were often held without cause. In prison, Spanish speakers were punished with solitary confinement for not understanding English commands, and detention officers wouldn't accept forms seeking services or reporting abuse if they weren't written in English. Police emails revealed derogatory comments against Latinos, the report added. Separately, Arpaio has come under fire for his handling of sex cases.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio during a news conference Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Phoenix.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio during a news conference Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Phoenix.   (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Department of Justice Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez announces the department's findings today.
Department of Justice Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez announces the department's findings today.   (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 70 comments
jamiealex1569
Dec 16, 2011 12:23 PM CST
I stand behind Joe 110%! At least he has the balls to do something about the ILLEGAL ALIENS that are IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY!!!! There were no violations of any right because ILLEGAL ALIENS should not have any rights since they are in this COUNTRY ILLEGALLY!!!!!!
without_hate
Dec 16, 2011 3:55 AM CST
For the second time in recent history, we have an Attorney General that has committed crimes. A flash back from the November tenth issue, 1988 of the Washington Post serves as a reminder that the office of the Attorney General does not give the office holder immunity from prosecution. As Mitchell had to answer for his crimes so must Eric Holder. The seriousness of the crime committed by Mitchell pales in comparision to the henious crimes of Eric Holder.    "John N. Mitchell, the only United States attorney general to serve a prison sentence, died here yesterday after suffering a heart attack. He was 75. Mitchell, a friend, confidant and law partner of Richard M. Nixon, became a familiar face on television screens across America in the summer of 1973 as he sparred with members and staff of the Senate Watergate Committee probing his role -- and Nixon's -- in the Watergate scandal.    But the dour, pipe-smoking Mitchell, who dead-panned his way through three days of testimony on television, gave away very little. Other former White House aides and Nixon administration officials decided to avoid the ordeal of a trial after indictment and plea-bargained with the Watergate special prosecutor. Mitchell, however, was indicted, stood trial and was convicted along with three other defendants in the Watergate cover-up trial.Eventually, he served 19 months in a federal penal institution before being released for medical reasons. After his release, he lived quietly in Georgetown, working as a consultant, occasionally being seen in restaurants, granting no interviews."   "America lives in the heart of every man everywhere who wishes to find a region where he will be free to work out his destiny as he chooses." Woodrow Wilson. Eric Holder and Obama's scheme to void the second amendment and the rights of Americans to own guns entailed arming violent drug cartels, who used those arms to snuff out the lives of innocent Mexican citizens, men, women and children. The bones of the children, whose life was cut short due to this evil attempt to void our bill of rights calls out for justice. Their destiny was not the american dream but a destiny forced on them by the department of justice of the United States of America. "ATF officials didn't intend to publicly disclose their own role in letting Mexican cartels obtain the weapons, but emails show they discussed using the sales, including sales encouraged by ATF, to justify a new gun regulation called "Demand Letter 3". That would require some U.S. gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles or "long guns." Demand Letter 3 was so named because it would be the third ATF program demanding gun dealers report tracing information." CBS News.Sharyl Attkisson. This is a documented fact that Holder's lies cannot cover up.    "Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating Fast and Furious, as well as the alleged use of the case to advance gun regulations. "There's plenty of evidence showing that this administration planned to use the tragedies of Fast and Furious as rationale to further their goals of a long gun reporting requirement. But, we've learned from our investigation that reporting multiple long gun sales would do nothing to stop the flow of firearms to known straw purchasers because many Federal Firearms Dealers are already voluntarily reporting suspicious transactions. It's pretty clear that the problem isn't lack of burdensome reporting requirements." CBS News.Sharyl Attkisso    "As a German citizen, as a German professor, and as a political person, I hold it to be not only my right but also my moral duty to take part in the shaping of our German destiny, to expose and oppose obvious wrongs." Kurt Huber. It is the moral duty of every American to call Holder out for his criminal actions. To set by silently is to surrender the Department of Justice to criminal elements that have no respect for our laws or international laws. Moral duty of both sides of the aisle is to insure the integrity of our Justice Department. The actions of Holder rise to the level of treason, a deliberate attempt to ignore the Constitution and to thwart the will of the people.   Holder's cover up of the gun running scandal and his perjury before the House committee is sufficient reason for impeachment."Blessed are the people whose leaders can look destiny in the eye without flinching but also without attempting to play God."Henry A. Kissinger. Our leaders can not look destiny in the eye and face their wrong doing as men of honor. Holder and Obama have God-like personalities and they justify their evil doing under a clock of lies. Holder said a lie depends on the state of one's mind when telling the lie. Mr. Holder, this is an insult to the American people and the Congress. You are a liar. You lied to the American people, you lied to Congress and you lied to the employees of the agency that you head up. You do not have the moral authority to represent the people of the United States, you squandered your authority on a foolish scheme to void the second amendment and when you got caught you lied about it. Man up and resign and face the conquences as John Mitchell did.    If Holder will not resign, we need dedicated American citizens working twenty-four seven to force the Congress to bring this criminal before the bar of justice. Please get involved and stand up for the children lying in the cold ground put there by guns bought and paid for by Eric Holder and the Department of Justice. "As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other".John Stuart Mill.   My one voice can not budge a Congress that is intent on maintaining the status quo in Washington rather than to fight and render justice in the case of the murderd border agent and the citizens of Mexico. A million voices sending the message loud and clear that no one is above the law can and will move the justice deaf lawmakers to take action and force a resignation or impeachment. If your  Congressman fails to take action, then you know that he is a corrupt soul that is not fit to be a representative of the American people. Let him know that the lack of action will be remembered on election day. Please pass this call to action to all your friends. Our justice department is being operated like a third world Banana Republic where the law is used to reward and punish political enemies and friends.  
baranoww
Dec 16, 2011 12:25 AM CST
And the word went out from Mordor: "Bring me the head of the Sheriff"... (we need to distract from this "Fast And Furious" cluster frack.)

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