Lawsuit: Cops searched homes of poor blacks illegally without warrant, probable cause

You read that right: No warrants, no probable cause. Imagine—you're eating dinner and, for no reason, police come barging in. When you protest, they threaten to arrest you—even though they are the ones violating the law. The police start sorting through your bills, looking under your mattress, and reading the labels on your pill bottles.

According to a lawsuit filed this week, this was the unbelievable reality of some residents in Stockton, California.

The nine plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are all black and/or disabled, and are claiming they were discriminated against and violated by these raids, which were part of a practice called "Operation Blitz."

The class-action lawsuit alleges that police in Stockton routinely and brazenly violated the Fourth Amendment rights of poor and minority residents. Plaintiffs allege that police illegally searched apartments "under the guise of standard housing inspections." Police "routinely" invaded people's homes with "little to no warning," despite the fact that a housing inspection requires a 21-day warning under Stockton municipal code.

And, surprise—they weren't showing up to inspect housing conditions. Keep reading for more infuriating details.