Sheriff's department sued. ACLU takes issue with Otero County's Operation

[duhneece]

Source: Alamogordo Daily News

LAS CRUCES The Otero County Sheriff's Department was hit with a pair of federal lawsuits Wednesday for allegedly engaging in racial profiling and violating the rights of Chaparral residents.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed suit, alleging the department targeted Hispanics and violated the civil rights of both legal residents and illegal immigrants in Chaparral during last month's Operation Stonegarden.
.......
"We gave the Otero County sheriff our report, hoping he would get sensitized but they denied everything," Garcia said at a news conference in Chaparral. "Then we went to the next step. (BNHR) had never filed a lawsuit, we always believed that community pressure would lead to changes."

.....
Simonson said public records obtained from the sheriff's department have reinforced the plaintiffs' claims. An attorney for MALDEF said more records have been requested but the sheriff's department may not be complying with public records laws.



Read more: http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_7209272

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A couple of years ago Otero County had a deputy sheriff who shot a man he had handcuffed. This is the same county that had a Harry Potter book-burning.
The good news is that the ACLU IS suing, people ARE waking up. Wish a few more progressive libs could fall in love with southern New Mexico.

[duhneece]

1. Sheriff's personal attack on ACLU NM Director

From another story in today's paper:LAS CRUCES Peter Simonson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, said Wednesday comments made about him by Otero County Sheriff John Blansett about the ACLU and him personally were unfortunate.

Simonson was reacting to comments made by Blansett during an Eagle Forum meeting last month in Alamogordo.

"Regarding the whole issue with our operation, I want to tell you that we are going to make Mr. Simonson and the ACLU an open book. There are some things in his past that are very interesting," Blansett had said.

"It was a surprising comment; it was an unfortunate one," Simonson said. "We expect the same sort of professional conduct of the sheriff's department that we demand of ourselves in engaging in litigation like this."

http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_7209273

I do consider finding a more progressive community, but this one needs me.