Judge sets hearing in lawsuit over Arpaio's sweeps

CREATED Dec. 1, 2011

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Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo

PHOENIX (AP) - A judge scheduled a Dec. 22 hearing for arguments in a lawsuit alleging racial profiling in Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration sweeps.

U.S. District Judge Murray Snow will hear arguments over sanctions against the sheriff's office for its acknowledged destruction of records sought by attorneys for the handful of Latinos who filed the case.

The judge has found grounds to sanction the agency, but has held off on actually imposing the sanction.

He also will consider a request by Arpaio's lawyers to dismiss the case.

During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city - in some cases, heavily Latino areas - over two days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders.

The sheriff denies allegations that his deputies have racially profiled Hispanics during the sweeps.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)