Black and stopped in Utah

In a dispute that has been dragging on for six years, a judge of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday, June 20, that San Diegan Sherida Felder can go ahead with a racial-profiling suit against two Utah policemen.

In 2008, Felder, an African-American, was driving two then-teenagers to a football game in Colorado. Utah police pulled her over for speeding and wanted to search the car for drugs. Felder wouldn't give them permission, and police held them for two and a half hours in a futile search for drugs.

In 2009, Felder sued for racial profiling. On June 20, the appellate judge ruled that police did not have cause to search her car, which presents the opportunity for Felder's civil suit against the police for racial profiling. However, the judge said there was insufficient evidence for him to rule on whether there was racial profiling.