A lawsuit alleging racial profiling by Springfield police has been set for trial…in 2016.
Samuel Johnson of Springfield is suing the Springfield Police Department and the two white police officers who stopped him in November 2013 on a traffic violation that was later deemed not a violation at all. Johnson, who is black, claims the stop and subsequent arrest were racially motivated, but the officers and the department say they were just enforcing the law as they understood it. Assuming the case makes it to trial, Johnson’s lawsuit faces another year and a half of evidence hearings and other pre-trial arguments. The City of Springfield responded to the lawsuit earlier this month, saying Johnson was “contributory negligent,” which is legal speak meaning he invited arrest by his own actions. The city also claims the two officers are entitled to “qualified immunity” because they were merely carrying out department policy. If Johnson can see his lawsuit through while he also runs for mayor of Springfield in the 2015 city election, the case could raise some important questions about race relations in Springfield.
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2014.
