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Criminal Justice

$7.3M fee request in racial-profiling suit is 'outrageous,' Maricopa County Sheriff's office says

The Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Office is fighting an adverse decision in a racial-profiling suit, as well as the fees sought by the winning plaintiffs’ lawyers

The office is appealing the ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow, which found that Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office violated the constitutional rights of Latinos. Now the sheriff’s office is fighting a request by the plaintiffs’ lawyers for more than $7.3 million in attorney fees, the Arizona Republic reports.

In court documents filed this week, lawyers for Arpaio called the fees “outrageous, unreasonable, excessive and redundant.”

A prior story by the Arizona Republic and a press release have more information on Snow’s decision. He required the sheriff’s office to adopt reforms that include cameras in every deputy’s car, the hiring of a bilingual deputy who will serve as a community-relations officer, and better data collection.

A court-ordered monitor will help ensure compliance.