Blacks arrested 5 times more than whites in Madison County, lawsuit says

A class-action lawsuit filed Monday accuses the Madison County Sheriff’s Department of targeting black residents with unconstitutional and sometimes violent searches and seizures, arresting them at nearly five times the rate of white residents.

“Simple daily activities — such as commuting to work, grocery shopping, visiting friends and family, attending church, or even sitting on the steps outside one’s own home — present the very real possibility of unlawful and humiliating searches and seizures, as well as the … prospect of arrest and jail time for unpaid fines and fees,” the lawsuit claims.  Read more.