In a landmark case, the appellate court upheld an $8.25 million verdict in favor of three Black women who were wrongfully detained and subjected to an unconstitutional search by Alameda County deputies. The case, involving a mother and her two daughters, highlighted racial profiling as they were handcuffed and interrogated while sitting in their car, despite officers knowing they were searching for male suspects unrelated to the women.

The unanimous jury verdict, now reaffirmed on appeal, is significant for being one of the largest civil rights violation awards in the U.S. that did not involve incarceration or significant physical harm. The deputies’ challenge, which claimed jury instruction errors regarding qualified immunity, was rejected by the appellate court. This decision underscores the legal system’s increasing rejection of race-based policing practices