Jessy Edwards  |  September 10, 2021

Category: Legal News

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racial profiling Chicago Police Department
(Photo Credit: Scott Cornell/Shutterstock)

Chicago PD Stop-and-Frisk Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

  • Who: Chicago Police Department.
  • What: The Chicago police department is accused of violating the constitutional rights of Black and Latinx residents through its stop-and-frisk practice.
  • Where: Chicago.

Millions of Black and Latinx Chicago residents were stopped and questioned by Chicago police officers for no reason other than racial profiling, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

The new lawsuit, which was recently certified as a class action by a federal judge, takes aim at the Chicago Police Department’s alleged practice of “stop-and-frisk” used on people of color between 2010 and 2017, the lawsuit claims.

Attorney Antonio Romanucci is leading the federal class action lawsuit which advanced in Chicago federal court last week and was certified as a class action by U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood.

Wood wrote in her opinion that “the city knew, or should have known, that its stop and frisk program was associated with a risk of widespread Fourth Amendment violations.”

Romanucci said there are at least two million plaintiffs in the case and that “this practice has to stop.”

Black Residents Racially Profiled, ‘Seven Times More Likely to be Stopped Than White Residents’ by Chicago Police

So far, Romanucci said he has reviewed seven years worth of Chicago Police Department records for police stops made where no law was broken. He also said he found Black residents were about seven times more likely to be stopped than white residents, with most stops happening on the South and West sides. 

Plaintiff Rashawn Lindsey said he was stopped by police who profiled him while he was walking home with friends.

“They never gave us a reason why we were stopped. We’re just there, I feel like I’m a criminal,” he said. 

The plaintiffs are alleging systematic violations of the Fourth Amendment.

This lawsuit comes after a 2010 deal in which the city of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department agreed to pay $16.5 million class action settlement to settle claims from residents who said they were improperly and unconstitutionally treated by the Chicago police. 

Have you ever been stopped by police for no reason? Let us know your experience in the comments. 

The plaintiff is represented by Antonio Romanucci of Romanucci and Blandin.

The Chicago Police Department Stop & Frisk Lawsuit is Smith v. City of Chicago, Case No. 1:15-cv-03467, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois.


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8 thoughts onClass Action Lawsuit Certified for Chicago Police Department’s ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Practice, Which Could Affect 2 Million Residents of Color

  1. Keval Mehta says:

    Add me police always stopped me and frisked me with out cause.

  2. Maria Izbicki says:

    add me

  3. Emmanuel Munson says:

    Since I was 14 police have stop me and frisk me for no reason!

  4. Maliki Holman says:

    My name is Maliki Holman I have not only been arrested illegally but I was just recently a victim of the police an want to know how can I file a law suite an also how can I join some of these Americans I lived in Chicago my whole life I was 14 when the police first illegally searched an frisked me an charged me with marijuana I was just recently trying to freely use my first amendment right the freedom of press an was physically battered by a officer whitterman from the 11th district he also went further on to arrest an falsely accuse me of verbal assault against him from recording a traffic stop I was surrounded by atleast 12 officers an he said he felt endangered then I let him know I was exercising my 1st amendment right which allows me to record them from public easement an any one who is exercising there first amendment should not be disturbed or disrupted by any department an if a any department should interfere shall be prosecuted I’m wonder why I’m being treated like a criminal when I did nothing wrong

  5. Dawn says:

    I was pulled over after being followed on the expressway in the south loop area. The officer asked me a lot of personal questions, but never said why I was being pulled over or followed. He insisted I get out of the car it was raining very hard that night and I asked why he said ” because he said so”. It was extremely scary and humiliating. He looked through the car, patted me down then let me go. Still never told me why, the more questions I asked the more aggressive his tone. I was glad when it was over and called a friend to meet me to follow me home.

  6. cora smith says:

    Yes, I have been pull over by the Chicago Police more time than I can count: once i was pulled over and the police start tell how big my legs were and saying how big my lips were and try to make me go into and alley way but a lot of people start coming over say what going on what did she do. I was given a ticket for passing a bus. Before I could go to court I saw the same 2 polices that had pull me over picture on the news and in the newspaper. They were being investigated for sexual misconduct. They had force women to have sex with them. When I went to court I was going to tell the judge but before is could say anything the woman nodded at the judge and the judge said you to me you can go the charge had been dismiss.

  7. Deborah Daniels says:

    I’ll talk .

  8. Deborah Daniels says:

    Most Definitely . My car broke down and I would walk to work .I worked on Cicero Ave between Chicago Ave and Lake st at a car dealer . Every day was the same BS call me to there car they would get out and ask me why I was walking,where I was going search me and go Thur my brief case looking for drugs ,one even said I was a hooker . They would follow me all the way to work it was embarrassing ,Harassing, til I finally quit . This went on for months.. other time I’m sitting in a car as passenger with my kids eating happy meals ,was waiting for driver on Fullerton Ave and Talman Ave officers drove up asked what I was doing told them waiting for my friend to come down ,told me to get out took my kids out of car called a female to search me and cavity search in a doorway ripped my youngest sons pamper ,went Thur my kids happy meals searching . Did not find nothing then said you can go I was scared out of my mind back then you did not mess with them did go to police station verbally complained and nothing like it was normal .I know better now but I don’t feel safe I was told I was lucky to be married to have the last name Daniels because I definitely was a spik . Well I’m just as white as they are . I’m Mexican and Irish
    But look Latina . I will go around just to avoid them

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