RACIAL CASE SETTLED

The California Highway Patrol settled a racial-profiling lawsuit Thursday by
agreeing to ban some vehicle searches and require officers to specify the
reason for each drug-related traffic stop.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union brought the class-action,
which originated in 1999, on behalf of three San Francisco Bay-area drivers.

Patrol officials have insisted officers do not profile or discriminate.
Under the settlement, to be approved by a federal judge, they admitted no
wrongdoing.

Although it's legal for officers to ask to search a vehicle and to pull over
vehicles for minor violations so they can search for drugs, the Highway
Patrol has acknowledged it's not good practice.