Fact check
“An analysis of traffic reports by a Berkeley professor approximates that Hispanic motorists are 40% more likely to be arrested than white motorists.”
Reasoning
The claim that a Berkeley professor's analysis of traffic reports approximates Hispanic motorists are 40% more likely to be arrested than white motorists is directly quoted in the provided ProPublica article. The evidence consistently attributes the analysis to a University of California, Berkeley computer science professor and reports the 40% figure.
On confidence: Multiple excerpts from a primary source (ProPublica) directly state the analysis and the 40% figure.
Important context
The analysis pertains to traffic reports from Maricopa County, Arizona, and is cited in the context of ongoing racial disparity litigation.
Evidence
Supporting (4)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
approximates that Hispanic motorists are 40% more likely to be arrested than white motorists, are stopped 30% longer than white motorists and are 2.5 times more likely to be searched than white motorists. The responsibility is on the…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
adequately investigates deputies’ alleged misconduct. In denying the recent motion, Snow cited data showing that sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers,…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
motion, Snow cited data showing that sheriff’s deputies in Maricopa County continue to search and arrest Latino drivers at a higher rate than white drivers, echoing the racial disparities that first led to court oversight of the…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceJudge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — ProPublica
motorists, are stopped 30% longer than white motorists and are 2.5 times more likely to be searched than white motorists. The responsibility is on the defendants to explain the stark disparities for Latino drivers, Snow said. “They have…
Limitations
The evidence is limited to the ProPublica article; no additional independent verification of the professor's methodology or the raw data is provided.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:46 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Judge Denies Efforts to End Oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as Racial Profiling of Latinos PersistsProPublica · Yana Kunichoff