Judge Rules NYPD 'Stop And Frisk' Violated Rights Of Thousands Of New Yorkers

A federal judge has ruled that the NYPD's stop and frisk program has violated the rights of tens of thousands of New York City residents, the New York Times reports.

In a 195-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled that the police tactic, which saw innocent people stopped and frisked with little or no evidence of wrongdoing, violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

Additionally, the Associated Press reports that Judge Scheindlin has appointed Peter L. Zimroth, once a city lawyer and a former chief assistant district attorney, to lead a group that will oversee changes to the policy.

The decision came after four men had sued saying they were unfairly targeted because of their race. The NYPD's policy, known as stop, question and frisk, has seen at least five million people, mostly black and Hispanic men, stopped over the last ten years, the AP reports.