The 26-page settlement covers a lot of specifics, as well as agreements that are supposed to prevent any future constitutional violations, according to Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Kappelhoff of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office changed many of their practices after the commencement of our litigation, and these agreements ensure that progress continues and the constitutional rights of the people of Maricopa County will be protected for the long term,” Kappelhoff said.
The lawsuit, filed in 2013, alleged Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa Country engaged in unconstitutional conduct against Latino immigrants, including raids at worksites, and racial profiling during traffic stops. Additionally, grievances included unlawful detention of Latino individuals, and maltreatment through failure to offer adequate language access and use of disparaging words against inmates such as “wetback,” “Mexican b*tches” and “stupid Mexicans,” reported the Latino Post on Saturday.
Part and parcel of the settlement is the requirement that the feds will be able to demand information on any workplace raids conducted by deputies. As for the charges of racial profiling by deputies during routine traffic stops, the ruling on that charge is pending.
Additionally, Maricopa County and the sheriff’s department must provide bilingual interpreters for jail inmates and the public, including providing classes in Spanish and other languages for inmates. The settlement came following a unanimous vote on Wednesday by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, reports Newsmax.
The settlement takes care of three of the four charges made against Arpaio, who calls himself “America’s toughest sheriff.” County Supervisor Steve Gallardo said the charges against Arpaio’s department alleging his deputies targeted Hispanic drivers will be heard in a federal court trial set to open on Aug. 10, 2015.
Arpaio, who loves to be in the national headlines, invited Donald Trump to speak during “The Donald’s” campaign stop in Phoenix last weekend. The rally attracted thousands of supporters as well as protesters. Trump’s biggest claim to fame this year has been his derogatory and biting comments on undocumented immigrants from Mexico, calling some of them “rapists” and “killers.”
