Sheriff Arpaio, federal government to meet Monday

PHOENIX - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's team is slated to meet with Department of Justice officials Monday to discuss ways to resolve civil rights abuse allegations.

Two months ago, Department of Justice officials released a report on alleged civil rights abuses by members of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

Among them, accusations that deputies racially profiled Latinos and punished Latino inmates for speaking Spanish in the jail.

The findings also claim Latino drivers are more likely to be pulled over in Maricopa County than other races.

Arpaio denies the accusations and is demanding evidence.

In a letter to the sheriff's attorneys, Justice Department lawyers say the sheriff has all the documentation he needs.

The sheriff's legal staff has asked for the statistics to back up allegations of racial profiling and traffic stops, but Justice Department attorneys have yet to release them.

"The Department of Justice rarely bluffs," said former US Attorney for Arizona Paul Charlton. "If they say they have the statistics that indicate Hispanics are four to nine times more likely to be pulled over than other races in this county that's probably true. On the other hand, the Sheriff has asked for those statistics as evidence and the Department of Justice hasn't turned them over. It's a fair request and the Department of Justice ought to do so."

It's unclear whether Justice Department officials will release those documents, but its attorneys have accused Arpaio's camp of stalling by asking for evidence.

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