Arpaio could take the stand Tuesday

July 23, 2012

The class action lawsuit trial against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Joe Arpaio is scheduled to continue at a federal court house in Phoenix on Tuesday.  

Arpaio is expected to take the stand to answer accusations that include running a law enforcement agency that encourages the racial profiling of Latinos.

Several people testified in the trial last week, including an MCSO deputy, an expert criminologist, and two people who say they were racially profiled. The criminologist analyzed MSCO traffic data and testified that, among the findings, Latinos were more likely to be stopped during crime suppression patrols.

Attorneys for the Sheriff say too many factors were left out of the research, including that more Latinos may be driving during suppression patrols. They say that’s one of several reasons why the report is questionable. The hearing is expected to start at 8:30 a.m. and last throughout the day.