Judge Shira Scheindlin Removed From Stop-And-Frisk Case

Judge Shira Scheindlin was removed from the high profile stop-and-frisk case by a federal appeals court on Thursday. The judge recently ordered reforms to the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk practices.

The appeals court also halted the changes in the department’s practice and criticized Scheindlin, saying she “ran afoul” of the judiciary’s code of conduct.

Schiendlin allegedly steered the lawsuit to her courtroom when it was filed almost six years ago, reports The New York Times. Because of this, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stated that the judge compromised the “appearance of impartiality surrounding this litigation.”

The ruling puts off several changes that Judge Scheindlin ordered for the police department and suspends the operations of the monitor who was asked to oversee reforms to stop-and-frisk. Police unions, Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota, and the Bloomberg administration praised the appeals court’s ruling, notes Newsday.

However, mayoral front-runner and current NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio told the appeals judges that the monitor was “in the public interest” and he was disappointed by the ruling.

De Blasio added:

“We shouldn’t have to wait for reforms that both keep our communities safe and obey the Constitution. Any delay only means a continued and unnecessary rift between our police and the people they protect.”

Scheindlin explained later that she took the stop-and-frisk case because it was “related” to another case she heard in 2007. She also rejected the panel’s claim that she discussed the case during interviews this summer.

Along with staying Sheindlin’s ruling, the appeals panel ordered that they would hear the appeal in March, instead of assigning it to a new set of judges. However, lawyers for the plaintiffs who brought the case said they will try and get the full Court of Appeals to overturn the panel.

Do you think the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk procedures are unconstitutional, or was the panel right to stay Jude Shira Scheindlin’s ruling?