Court hearing begins on New York police's crime stopping tactic
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Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. A 24-year-old non-profit worker wept on the witness stand on Tuesday as he described being handcuffed by police near his home - one of about 5 million stops by New York City police over the past decade of mostly black and Hispanic young men. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
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Protesters walk to federal court where a civil trial examining police stop and frisk tactics is underway in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
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Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
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Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
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Demonstrator Jihadou Kwantu holds a sign over his head protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. speaks in support of a demonstration against the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate John Liu speaks in support of a demonstration against the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
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In this Sunday, June 17, 2012 file photo, Rev. Al Sharpton (center), walks with thousands along Fifth Avenue, during a silent march to end the "stop-and-frisk" program in New York. A federal trial is scheduled to begin in New York on Monday, March 18, 2013, where the NYPD’s practice of stopping, questioning and frisking people on the street will face a sweeping legal challenge. The outcome could bring major changes to the nation's largest police force and could affect how other departments use the stop and frisk tactic. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
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In this June 17, 2012 file photo, demonstrators hold signs during a silent march in New York to end the New York City Police Department’s "stop-and-frisk" program. A federal trial is scheduled to begin in New York on Monday, March 18, 2013, where the NYPD’s practice of stopping, questioning and frisking people on the street will face a sweeping legal challenge. The outcome could bring major changes to the nation's largest police force and could affect how other departments use the stop and frisk tactic. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. A 24-year-old non-profit worker wept on the witness stand on Tuesday as he described being handcuffed by police near his home - one of about 5 million stops by New York City police over the past decade of mostly black and Hispanic young men. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
Protesters walk to federal court where a civil trial examining police stop and frisk tactics is underway in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
Protesters participate in a rally near the federal courthouse in New York, on Monday, March 18, 2013. Many of the 5 million New Yorkers stopped, questioned and sometimes frisked by police in the past decade were wrongly targeted because of their race, lawyers for four men who said they were illegally stopped said on Monday. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
Demonstrator Jihadou Kwantu holds a sign over his head protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. speaks in support of a demonstration against the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate John Liu speaks in support of a demonstration against the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
Demonstrators hold signs protesting the New York Police Department's "stop and frisk" crime-fighting tactic outside of Manhattan Federal Court in New York, on March 18, 2013. The city is currently defending the policy in court from a class action four black men filed in 2008 alleging police improperly targeted them because of their race. The trial is considered the broadest legal challenge to "stop and frisk" since its inception. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
In this Sunday, June 17, 2012 file photo, Rev. Al Sharpton (center), walks with thousands along Fifth Avenue, during a silent march to end the "stop-and-frisk" program in New York. A federal trial is scheduled to begin in New York on Monday, March 18, 2013, where the NYPD’s practice of stopping, questioning and frisking people on the street will face a sweeping legal challenge. The outcome could bring major changes to the nation's largest police force and could affect how other departments use the stop and frisk tactic. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
In this June 17, 2012 file photo, demonstrators hold signs during a silent march in New York to end the New York City Police Department’s "stop-and-frisk" program. A federal trial is scheduled to begin in New York on Monday, March 18, 2013, where the NYPD’s practice of stopping, questioning and frisking people on the street will face a sweeping legal challenge. The outcome could bring major changes to the nation's largest police force and could affect how other departments use the stop and frisk tactic. -- FILE PHOTO: AP
NEW YORK (AP) - A 24-year-old non-profit worker wept on the witness stand on Tuesday as he described being handcuffed by police near his home - one of about 5 million stops by New York City police over the past decade of mostly black and Hispanic young men.
Mr Nicholas Peart, who is black, is one of about a dozen New Yorkers expected to tell their stories of being stopped, questioned and frisked by police in a federal trial challenging how police use the tactic.
US District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin, who has said in earlier rulings that she is deeply concerned about the practice, has the power to order reforms that could bring major changes to the largest US police force.
Lawyer Darius Charney of the Centre for Constitutional Rights which filed the suit in 2008 on behalf of four New Yorkers, called many of the stops a "frightening and degrading experience" that violates the civil rights of many residents.
