Nickles: Police discontinue checkpoint program
Associated Press
11/17/09 7:15 PM EST
WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia has decided not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court over a federal appeals court decision that its police checkpoints were unconstitutional.
In a court filing Monday, D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier has canceled the special order authorizing the Neighborhood Safety Zone program. Nickles said Tuesday that the checkpoints helped police deal with a critical situation, and that now, Lanier determined police don't need the checkpoints.
Last year, D.C. police stopped cars in the Trinidad neighborhood, refusing to let in motorists who didn't prove they lived in the area or reveal their destinations. A civil liberties group sued on behalf of three drivers.
A federal appeals court declined the city's request for a hearing before the entire court after a three-judge panel struck down the operation.
