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Attorneys Disagree On New Rules For Arpaio's Office
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Attorneys Disagree On New Rules For Arpaio's Office
Almost three months after a federal judge ruled against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a racial profiling suit, attorneys from both sides have crafted a proposal for reforming the Sheriff's office.
In late May, Judge Murray Snow found that Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies had discriminated against Latino drivers. At a June hearing, both sides agreed to work together on an order spelling out how the agency must change.
The attorneys turned in a 78-page proposal to Snow on Friday.
Dan Pochoda, an attorney with ACLU of Arizona who represents the plaintiffs, said it's important to build as much consensus as possible with the defendants so there is support for the changes from the top down.
But there are at least 12 areas of disagreement the two sides couldn't reconcile.
Among them: how deputies must be trained, what kind of data deputies must collect during traffic stops, and the role of an independent monitor.
"We will be seeking the court's approval for all of the provisions that plaintiff's feel are necessary," Pochoda said. "So those areas that are not agreed to are not going to be discarded. We will be presenting to the court our reasons for those in argument to why they are an important part to the remedial regime."
Both sides are scheduled to meet before Snow on Aug. 30.