Judge: No more time for detention victims

PHOENIX — A judge in Arizona who ordered taxpayer-funded compensation for Latinos who were illegally detained when then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio defied a court order has declined to give the victims more time to apply for the money.

The two-sentence ruling issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow in the racial-profiling case means the one-year period for filing claims will end on Dec. 3.

Two years ago, Snow ordered the creation of a $500,000 compensation fund as a remedy for Arpaio’s acknowledged disobedience of the 2011 order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Advocates for immigrant rights had argued that more time was needed to locate the victims.

Attorneys for Maricopa County countered by urging the judge to reject the proposed extension and accused opposing lawyers of trying to rewrite the terms of the compensation plan.

Under the plan, Maricopa County will pay $500 for the first hour of a person’s illegal detention and $35 for each additional 20-minute increment.

A $10,000 cap was imposed on such compensation, but victims can also seek money for damages such as lost wages and emotional distress.

The compensation costs are a small piece of the overall cost of the case, which so far have totaled $90 million.

Lawyers who filed the profiling lawsuit have said at least 190 people were detained in violation of the 2011 order, but they are unable to find their phone numbers and addresses.

Far fewer people than expected have filed claims because of the difficulty of locating victims.

Only one claim totaling $1,095 has been paid among the 93 filed. Twelve others are considered payable but await a rebuttal from the sheriff’s office, according to county records.