New York City Stop & Frisk Lawsuit Can Proceed, Judge Says

(AP)

A judge has allowed federal lawsuit accusing the New York Police Department of racial bias in its stop-and-frisk policies to proceed.

Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan gave the green light to a lawsuit that challenges the city's policies as discriminatory, particularly toward blacks and Hispanics.

The judge said the allegations in the lawsuit were supported well enough to justify a trial to decide if New York's stop-and-frisk policies are legal.

She said the trial can determine whether quotas prompted officers to stop suspects without just cause. She said the trial can also decide whether police leadership has failed to adequately train officers.

The city law office said it is reviewing the decision.