NYC mayor’s office clashes with ‘stop-and-frisk’ judge

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As New York City’s landmark trial on stop-and-frisks nears a conclusion, the office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg is sparking a new debate.

According to an internal report released by the mayor’s office, Judge Shira Scheindlin – the presiding judge over the class-action lawsuit Floyd v. City of New York – has been accused of showing bias against police.

The report exposes that since taking the bench in 1994, Scheindlin ruled against law enforcement in 60 percent of her written “search-and-seizure” opinions, reports The New York Daily News.

theGrio: Stop-and-frisk plaintiff says encounter made him feel ‘criminalized’

The Daily News report says records show that Scheindlin has claimed certain pieces of evidence to be illegally obtained by police and other law enforcement officials. Because of this, the judge has thrown out evidence including drugs, ammunition and wiretaps.

But Scheindlin tells the paper the report is “completely misleading” since it only includes her opinions and not her final rulings. She goes on to defend herself, saying she has denied motions to suppress evidence in “nearly all” of the instances.

However, within hours of the Daily News story, the Center for Constitutional rights issued a response calling it “an inappropriate stunt.”

theGrio: Stop-and-frisk: Women who are stopped feel deeper embarrassment 

According to the Village Voice, the CCR — who represents the plaintiffs in the case — believes the allegations in report reached “levels of absurdity never encountered before.”

“I’ve heard some ridiculous, outrageous accusations thrown out by the city over the years,” says David Charney, one of the center’s lead attorneys. “But this is the most ridiculous one I’ve ever heard, and I actually find it despicable.”

The controversy sparked by the report emerged as the ongoing stop-and-frisk trial grinds to a halt.  Scheindlin is expected to issue a ruling in the case on Monday.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works