NYCLU Applauds Court Ruling Rejecting Attempt to Delay Stop-and-Frisk Reforms

In response to today’s ruling by U.S District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin in two class-action lawsuits denying the Bloomberg administration’s request to stay court-ordered reforms to the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices, the leadership of the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement, which is attributable to Executive Director Donna Lieberman:

“This ruling sends the Bloomberg administration a clear message: No more stalling. It’s time to end the NYPD’s abusive and discriminatory stop-and-frisk practices.

“Last month, Judge Scheindlin laid out a series of sensible steps to end a stop-and-frisk program that is out of control and has targeted hundreds of thousands of black and Latino New Yorkers for unjustified, humiliating and intimidating police stops.

“The Bloomberg administration ought to embrace these reforms without further delay and work to establish policing practices that keep New Yorkers’ safe while respecting their constitutional rights.”

Today’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin covers two cases: Floyd v. City of New York, the class action lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights challenging constitutional abuses in the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program and Ligon v. City of New York, a class action lawsuit filed by the NYCLU in March 2012 with The Bronx Defenders, LatinoJustice PRLDEF and Shearman & Sterling, challenging the NYPD’s enforcement of Operation Clean Halls – a citywide program within the Police Department’s stop-and-frisk regime that allows police officers to patrol in and around certain private apartment buildings.

In a ruling issued on Aug. 12, Judge Scheindlin ordered remedies covering both the Floyd and Ligon cases, including the appointment of a federal monitor to implement reforms, and the initiation of a broad process of community engagement to help formulate fundamental reforms of stop-and-frisk.