NEW YORK CITY — The city has asked the federal judge who ruled stop-and-frisk was unconstitutional earlier this month to put a freeze on her own decision — including halting the installation of a federal monitor over the NYPD.
The city’s Law Department announced Tuesday it had asked Judge Shira Scheindlin, who infuriated Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other stop-and-frisk advocates with her ruling, to stay its implementation, including a federal monitor and body cameras on cops, while the city goes through the appeal process.
Federal monitor Peter Zimroth has already scheduled a meeting with the police department for Sept. 4.
The city's lawyers argued that the series of remedies Scheindlin outlined in her decision, would cause "irreparable harm."
The judge's reforms would also hamstring officers and deprive the department of one of its primary tactics to combat crime, the lawyers said.
The lawyers further objected to forcing the department to train police to comply with the judge's decision which they believe was "rife with errors of law."
The stay will also avoid the "disruption and confusion among the rank and file" that the city Law Department said will come from retraining those officers if the judge's decision is overturned on appeal.
"The City remains highly concerned by ramifications from this decision. We believe that the Police Department and its officers have acted -— and continue to act — lawfully and constitutionally,” Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo said. “The City's safety remains Mayor Bloomberg's and Police Commissioner Kelly's paramount concern. Our Police Department must be free to do its job correctly and proactively."
Should the judge refuse the stay, the city will then take its request to the Second Circuit, officials said.
Zimroth and lawyers for the defendants in the case did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
