Nine judges in downtown Chicago are considering whether or not federal agents were racially biased in how they conducted drug robbery stings in and around the city. For years, agents with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms have recruited people to rob made-up drug stash houses. The ATF encourages their recruit to enlist others for a robbery crew, and then the agency arrests them all. 

In a first of its kind hearing, the judges, each of whom are presiding over different stash house cases, gathered Thursday to hear from a criminologist working for the defendants. He argued that statistical analysis proves the ATF has disproportionately targeted blacks and Latinos in these stings. A government expert is testifying that there is no statistical evidence of discrimination. The hearing is expected to continue Friday.