The Region : Police Lawsuit Dropped

A suit to stop police from arbitrarily photographing and questioning youths about street gang activities was dismissed because it was not brought to trial within the required five years after filing. After the civil suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in 1980, a preliminary injunction prohibited police from taking photos without permission of youths stopped for questioning. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Warren Deering dismissed the suit when no opposition materialized to a city attorney’s motion. Deputy City Atty. Lewis N. Unger said the ACLU had indicated that it believes the Police Department has been following guidelines set down in the preliminary injunction. The suit, filed on behalf of Latinos, had claimed that the police action amounted to unconstitutional search and seizure, invasion of privacy and “invidious discrimination based on race and poverty.”