In an opinion dated yesterday, Judge Scheindlin certified a class of plaintiffs who have, since 2005, allegedly been unlawfully detained under the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices. Class treatment of the claims was appropriate, Judge Scheindlin reasoned, because “the overwhelming and indisputable evidence shows that the NYPD has a department-wide stop and frisk program; the program has been designed and revised at the highest levels of the department; the implementation of the program is conducted according to uniform and centralized rules; and monitoring of compliance with the program is hierarchical.” Judge Scheindlin ended the opinion with a harsh critique of the “cavalier attitude” the NYPD displayed in its briefing:
Continue Reading Judge Scheindlin Certifies Class Action Accusing NYPD of Unlawful Stop-And-Frisk Practices