Arizona Sheriff To Face Criminal Charges Over Racial Profiling

As people across the country continue to call for an end to discriminatory policing practices, the Department of Justice is making an example out of one of the country’s most notoriously controversial law enforcement officials.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has a well documented-history of targeting undocumented Latino residents and people of color in an attempt to indirectly enforce immigration law. Despite court orders and multiple mandates requiring that he forego his openly racist policing tactics, Arpaio has continued them anyway. 

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But the federal government has decided that they’ve had enough.

The Associated Press announced earlier this week that DOJ officials are planning to pursue criminal charges against Arpaio and chief deputy Jerry Sheridan for their failure to stop racially profiling Latinos and darker-skinned people of color against court orders. If convicted, Arpaio could face up to six months in prison.

Arpaio’s court case for the criminal charges is scheduled for December 6.