This past week, I argued Crepea v. Cochise County (No. 14-16694) in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California.
This case involves the hiring of racist and potentially violent officers; issues that are crucial in light of recent racial tensions in our country.
In 2007, the Cochise County Sheriff hired a deputy whose psychological evaluation clearly showed he was a racist. The applicant acknowledged he was racist, but they hired him regardless. This same deputy had a (non-minority) arrestee die in his custody while his application was pending with Cochise County (he was working with another agency at the time).
A couple of months after being hired, this deputy committed crimes of violence against my client – he was later convicted of felony offenses. This same officer, before he assaulted my client, used excessive force against a minority woman.
I am hoping the court understands the significance of this case and these issues.
