Overview

• The Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office over a policy directing prosecutors to factor racial identity into plea negotiations.
• The investigation, led by the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, will examine whether the policy violates constitutional equal protection norms or federal anti-discrimination laws.
• Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty defends the policy as a necessary measure to address systemic racial disparities in the justice system, asserting its compliance with the law.
• The policy, which took effect on April 28 and was leaked to media shortly after, has drawn criticism for allegedly promoting race-based decision-making in prosecutorial practices.
• Moriarty’s office has pledged full cooperation with the DOJ investigation, expressing confidence that the policy will withstand legal scrutiny.