(KFYI News) – A hearing is underway in federal court in Phoenix over a new report showing the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office continued to profile Hispanics in traffic stops as recently as last year. A judge wants to hear from Arpaio's lawyers, and lawyers for the Sheriff's Office, about the allegations.
ASU criminal-justice researchers studied traffic stops from the middle of 2015 to the middle of 2016 and found Hispanics were still more likely to be stopped, and arrested, than whites.
In December, 2011, a judge ordered Arpaio to stop immigration enforcement after a lawsuit charged his department with targeting Hispanics in traffic stops and other enforcement actions.
Arpaio's agency failed to comply with the judge's order until May of 2013, when Arpaio declared "As of now, by court order, we are out of the immigration enforcement business."
Current sheriff Paul Penzone will comment after today's hearing ends.