From [HERE] A civil rights trial against Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-styled "America's Toughest Sheriff," began today in which Arpaio and his department stand accused of racial profiling Latinos in Maricopa County. The class-action suit, which started with a complaint by a retired Mexican schoolteacher who was stopped in Arizona in 2007, has grown to encompass all Latinos who were stopped without probable cause from 2007 until the present.

"It's our view that the problem starts at the top," said Stan Young, an attorney for the plaintiffs, at the start of the federal trial today. Plaintiffs are not asking for damages, but rather an apology from the department and a change in policy. If found guilty, Arpaio will not face jail time or fines. Arpaio is expected to take the stand at some point during the bench trial.