LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Stanley Young, an attorney for the plaintiffs, in his opening remarks told the judge that Arpaio along with his department violated "the fundamental value of equal protection under the law" through a "policy of racial discrimination and mistreatment of Hispanics."

An attorney for the sheriff, Tim Casey told the court that "there is no evidence that race or ethnicity played a factor" in the detention of the five named plaintiffs.

"Ethnic constituency of the neighborhood plays no role" in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department's selection of neighborhoods for saturation patrols, Casey said in court.

Arpaio is expected to early next week. Arpaio critics demonstrated and carried placards stating, "No justice. No peace. No racist police," outside the courthouse.

Ralph Taylor, a Temple University professor of criminal justice testified that he did a statistical analysis that shows Hispanics are more likely to be checked for immigration status during saturation patrols than non-Hispanics are.

Nationally known for his tough stances against illegal immigration, Arpaio's critics have said for years that his approach has created a system of racial profiling.

The current trial is for a lawsuit brought by Hispanics who say they were discriminated against.

The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2007, claims that Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office "launched a series of massive so-called 'crime suppression sweeps' that show a law enforcement agency operating well beyond the bounds of the law."

"They're never easy cases, there's no smoking gun," ACLU of Arizona legal director Dan Pochoda said. "We don't expect a memo in the file that says let's get these people solely because they're Hispanic. We believe the evidence will demonstrate that is indeed effectively what was done."

Arpaio and his attorneys declined to comment before the trial.

© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.