I appreciate the sad import of their failure to bring Wall Street to justice, indeed I do, but at least the DoJ under this Admin can do something right!
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has sued Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, asking a federal court to prevent the brazen and outspoken lawman from racially profiling Latinos, abusing them in his jails and retaliating against his critics.
"The police are supposed to protect and support our community, not divide them," said Assistant Atty. Gen. Thomas E. Perez, head of the Justice Department's civil rights division. "This is an abuse of power case involving a sheriff and a sheriff's office that has ignored the Constitution."
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, alleges that Arpaio's Maricopa County department engages in a "pattern of unconstitutional conduct" against Latinos, especially immigrants.
Justice Department officials in Washington are asking the court to name an independent monitor to oversee the sheriff's office, develop reform policies to better staff the jails and patrol the county, and possibly find Arpaio and other top sheriff's officials in contempt of court if they do not make changes in a community whose Latino population has grown by 47% over the last decade.