Judge's tools[/caption]Leanne Jenkins---Racial profiling continues to be an issue that plagues different parts of the country, and some law enforcement can be guilty of using stereotypes in their work, leading to arrests of innocent persons, as the ACLU claims happens far too often in Arizona.
In a press release a major law firm highlights the fact that there are those innocent persons charged with crimes merely because of the color of their skin or their nationalities. A recent case of a 64-year-old former firefighter from Surprise, Arizona who was arrested for drunk driving despite the fact that he had no alcohol in his blood. When the man was pulled over by police, he explained that the redness of his eyes was due to swimming laps at a recreational pool, but nevertheless he was taken to the police station, where he passed the drunk driving test and yet was still given a ticket for driving drunk. The man is African American.
The American Civil Liberties Union is concerned about Arizona's law, SB 1070, that requires police to ask papers requiring evidence of American citizenship or immigration status if they have suspicion that an individual may be in the country illegally. This can lead to false arrests maintains the ACLU.
Racial profiling can have significant legal consequences, where an offense can lead to lengthy prison terms. At the same time, attorneys suggest that individuals in Arizona who believe they have been falsely arrested for something like DUI should dispute the charges because even for a first offense the fines and penalties can be considerable.
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