County faces deadline in appeal in racial profiling case

PHOENIX (AP) - Maricopa County faces a Friday deadline for asking an appeals court to reconsider its decision to make the county a party to Sheriff Joe Arpaio's racial profiling case.

Nearly a month ago, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that Arpaio's office was improperly named as a party in the case and instead substituted the county as a party.

The county is disputing that element of the ruling.

Still, Arpaio was sued in his individual capacity as the county's sheriff and remains a party to the case.

The appeals court also upheld key findings in a 2013 ruling that concluded Arpaio's officers had systemically committed racial profiling of Latinos.