Judge throws out lawsuit against LAPD rule on immigration queries
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A judge Wednesday threw out a lawsuit filed by a Los Angeles resident who wanted to repeal the long-standing LAPD Special Order 40 that restricts when police officers may ask people about their immigration status.
The spotlight fell on Special Order 40 after the murder of Jamiel Shaw II. He was allegedly gunned down by a reputed gang member who was in the country illegally. The suspect, Pedro Espinoza, had been released from jail the day before the slaying.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf M. Treu, granting a motion from the city and the American Civil Liberties Union, said Harold Sturgeon had failed to prove that Special Order 40 was in conflict with federal and state laws that dictate the flow of information between local and federal agencies regarding people’s immigration status.
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Here’s a Los Angeles Times editorial from April which says Special Order 40 had nothing to do with the slaying of Shaw, Opinion L.A on the issue and a La Plaza post containing a plethora of links around the Order.
-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City
Photo: Ex- L.A. Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, left, of Teach Compton was among those at a City Hall rally where elected officials were urged to fund gang intervention efforts, expand job opportunities and maintain Special Order 40. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times