In case you missed it, the U.S. Department of Justice opened its discrimination and racial profiling case against Sheriff Terry Johnson on Tuesday:
In opening statements, DOJ attorney Timothy Mygatt accused Johnson and other commanding officers at the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office of “routinely violating” constitutional provisions for equal protection under the law and protections against illegal search and seizure. The DOJ argues that the sheriff’s office set up traffic stops in or near mobile home parks with high Latino populations, and that Johnson directed officers to arrest Latinos and process them through the jail’s 287(g) program, which allowed deputies to act as U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers.
The trial is expected to last two weeks. Stay tuned.
