Judge: Bernalillo County and Ex-Sheriff to Pay $3M

From therepublic.com- A New Mexico judge has ordered that Bernalillo County and its former sheriff pay more than $3 million in damages to people whose cash was seized by law enforcement officers.  The Albuquerque Journal says the cash was taken from hundreds of people during traffic stops, often along Interstate 40. In almost all the cases, the criminal cases were never filed and the money languished in an "evidence" account even when it wasn't used as evidence.  Second Judicial District Judge Nan Nash issued the ruling late Friday in the second part of deciding a 2006 class action lawsuit. There were about 500 plaintiffs in the suit that covered the period from November 2004 to September 2009. Former Sheriff Darren White says he'll talk with county attorneys about appealing the judge's decision.

Judge: Bernalillo County and Ex-Sheriff to Pay $3M