The story generating the most interest this week is, in the words of the News and Observer, that “[a] two-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice has found that [Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson] and his deputies routinely discriminated against Latinos by making unwarranted arrests with the intent of maximizing deportations.” Among other conclusions, the report states that the Sheriff created a discriminatory culture and that and his deputies would arrest Spanish-speaking people even for minor traffic infractions in order to facilitate immigration status checks. (Update: the report itself is here.) The Sheriff denies the allegations and contends that the report is politically-driven. The federal government has just blocked the Sheriff’s access to its immigration databases and is pressing for remedial action like additional training for deputies regarding civil rights violations, and increased community outreach. The Alamance County Commissioners support the Sheriff. In other news: Jessie Smith has just released the latest in her series of Administration of Justice Bulletins about the Confrontation Clause, this one centered on the recent decision in Williams v. Illinois, 567 U.S. ___, 132 S. Ct. 610 (2012). The Bulletin is free and is available here. Durham County Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson has been cleared of any misconduct following the Judicial Standards Commission’s investigation of allegations made by removed District Attorney Tracey Cline. The Commission found no probable cause to support Cline’s allegations. The New York Times discusses here a 471-page report by the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General concerning Operation Fast and [...]
Faculty Coordinators
