Chicago Must Face Discrimination Claims by Black, Latino Drivers

Chicago must face a class action by Black and Latino drivers claiming that its “mass traffic stop program” intentionally targets them in violation of their civil rights, a federal court said.

The five plaintiffs, who are Black or Latino drivers who were pulled over by the Chicago police 42 times in a five-year period, presented sufficient evidence that the program was “motivated by a discriminatory purpose,” Judge Mary M. Rowland said Monday for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The ruling allowed the plaintiffs’ claims against the city and its police department under the Equal Protection ...