A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that Maricopa County can also be held liable for the policies of a former Arizona sheriff whose department was found to have discriminated against Latinos.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued an opinion Monday that Maricopa County is also responsible for policies carried out by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio when he was in office.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery says his office is reviewing the opinion.
The opinion springs from a U.S. government action against Arpaio and the county seeking to stop discriminatory practices toward Latinos. It included the accusations of discrimination described in a high-profile class action suit against the ex-sheriff for traffic stops of people suspected of being immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
