civil rights news stories on Newser

Feds: We're Taking Sheriff Joe to Court

Kevin Spak — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:40:30 CDT

The Justice Department is through negotiating with the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America. Authorities announced yesterday that they will sue Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio for alleged civil rights violations, the AP reports. The department had been trying to work out an agreement with Arpaio in which he'd train his officers...

Trayvon Lawyers Draw On 'Bootcamp Playbook'

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:22:48 CDT

The lawyers fighting Trayvon Martin's case are seeking more than justice in a court of law. Attorneys at the black-owned law firm of Parks & Crump took their case to the public right away, contacting media and Al Sharpton , pushing for the release of 911 tapes, and helping to organize...

Trayvon Martin Shooting to Get 2nd Look by DOJ, FBI

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:11:00 CDT

Almost a month after the killing of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and Florida's Department of Law Enforcement have agreed to get involved, the Miami Herald reports. The agencies will probe the case amid accusations from the teen's family and civil rights...

Internet Is a Tool, Not a Right

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:42:43 CST

With Facebook and Twitter fueling protests across the Arab world, many wonder: Is the Internet a human or civil right? No, declares Google VP Vinton G. Cerf firmly. Courts in various countries have declared it so, but the UN stopped short, calling the Internet "an indispensable tool for realizing a...

Sheriff Joe Fires Back at Feds' Allegations

Matt Cantor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:14:10 CST

Arizona's embattled Sheriff Joe Arpaio is hitting back at Justice Department allegations that his office shows "a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias" against Hispanics. "Don't come to use me as a whipping boy for a national, international problem," he told reporters, saying he has "an idea of the politics involved...

'White Only' Pool Sign Just 'Historical,' Landlord Says

Rob Quinn — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:04:25 CST

An Ohio landlord says the "White Only" sign in front of a pool at a duplex she owns was just an antique, but a former tenant says her views on race also appear to be from 1930s Alabama. "We invited my daughter, who is African-American, to visit and swim in...

Feds: Sheriff Joe Violated Civil Rights

Matt Cantor — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:11:41 CST

Tough times ahead for America's Toughest Sheriff : The Justice Department has accused Joe Arpaio of major civil rights violations. Arpaio's office committed what a top Justice official called the most egregious racial profiling he'd ever come across, the AP reports. Arpaio also conducted immigration "sweeps" prompted by reports of Latinos...

Cain Sat Out Civil Rights Movement

Kevin Spak — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:16:06 CST

Herman Cain came of age in the heat of the civil rights movement, but unlike many of his politically conscious peers at the predominantly black Morehouse College, he largely ignored it. “I wasn’t determined to make social change,” Cain tells the Wall Street Journal . “I wanted to earn some change...

Cop Arrested for Bragging: 'I Fried Another N*****'

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:31:05 CDT

One New York City police officer will be spending a lot of time in court—and it won't be time spent testifying against criminals. Eight-year veteran Michael Daragjati has been charged with using a racial slur while boasting that he'd lied about a black man resisting arrest earlier this year,...