A federal judge has allowed a major civil rights lawsuit challenging Chicago Police Department traffic stop practices to move forward on behalf of thousands of Black and Latino drivers, marking the latest chapter in a legal battle over how and why the department conducts street and vehicle stops.
In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland certified a class of Black and Latino individuals who have been stopped by Chicago police since June 2021, or who may be stopped in the future. The plaintiffs are not seeking monetary damages but rather want the court to order CPD to change practices they contend disproportionately target Black and Latino motorists.
While the ruling does not determine whether the city violated the law, Rowland’s opinion places the current dispute in the context of more than four decades of challenges to Chicago police stop practices…