January 8, 2013, New York – In response to today’s decision by Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York finding that NYPD trespass stops outside of so-called “clean halls” buildings are unconstitutional, Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren issued the following statement:

Today’s ruling confirms what hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers already know—that NYPD officers routinely stop New Yorkers without the reasonable suspicion required by the Fourth Amendment. The stops held unconstitutional today – for alleged trespasses outside the plaintiffs’ own apartment buildings in the Bronx – are part of a pattern of unconstitutional NYPD stops in all boroughs that have disrupted the lives of New Yorkers, particularly Black and Latino New Yorkers, for over a decade. By consolidating today’s case with the Center for Constitutional Rights’ class action stop-and-frisk lawsuit, Floyd et al. v. City of New York, et al., Judge Scheindlin has correctly recognized that the stops held unconstitutional today are part of a larger problem identified by Floyd. We look forward to working with the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Bronx Defenders, and Latino Justice to craft meaningful and effective city-wide remedies to address these serious constitutional violations, hold the NYPD accountable for its abuses, and make our city safe for all New Yorkers.