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Law

Former Deputies Testify Alamance Sheriff Targeted Latinos For Arrest

Alamance County Sheriff's vehicle
Alamance County Sheriff's Office

Today is the second day of the federal trial for Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson. Several current and former sheriff's deputies took the stand yesterday.

The U.S. Justice Department has accused Johnson of racial profiling and arresting and detaining members of the Hispanic community without probable cause.

Several past and present law enforcement officials testified on the opening day of the trial yesterday. It was held in federal district court in Winston-Salem.

Retired lieutenant Steve Perry told the court that Sheriff Johnson wanted Latino drivers pulled over at a checkpoint to be taken to jail rather than given citations. He also said that in the mid-2000s, members of the department had to fingerprint everyone who came through for both felonies and misdemeanors, which resulted in more people being booked for minor offenses.

The trial is expected to continue for a few weeks.
 

Jessica Jones covers both the legislature in Raleigh and politics across the state. Before her current assignment, Jessica was given the responsibility to open up WUNC's first Greensboro Bureau at the Triad Stage in 2009. She's a seasoned public radio reporter who's covered everything from education to immigration, and she's a regular contributor to NPR's news programs. Jessica started her career in journalism in Egypt, where she freelanced for international print and radio outlets. After stints in Washington, D.C. with Voice of America and NPR, Jessica joined the staff of WUNC in 1999. She is a graduate of Yale University.
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