Thursday, December 10th, 2009
It’s gotten so surreal out in Arizona, I’m a little lost in the details. But as I understand it, here’s what’s happened since our last update:
Judge Lisa Flores says the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department hast stopped bringing inmates into her court for hearings.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas filed a bizarre federal lawsuit alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy among the county’s judges and supervisors against Arpaio, Thomas, and Arpaio’s department.
Thomas indicted two Maricopa County supervisors on corruption charges.
Then it gets weird. Yesterday, Arpaio and Thomas criminally charged Judge Donahoe (the judge who held Arpaio’s document-swiping deputy in contempt) on bribery charges. Except there was apparently never any actual bribe. They didn’t like how Donahoe had ruled on some motions related to Arpaio’s investigation into the construction of a new tower for the county courthouse. Apparently, Donahoe’s “bribe” was merely his employment with the court system that benefits from the tower. Oh, and he’s also retiring soon.
Bonus: The indictment documents Thomas released to the press apparently “mistakenly” included Donahoe’s home address.
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TheAgitator.com
That literally reads like something is a banana republic. I mean it’s insane.
try living in it. The worst part is that Joe is still supported as a Man of “Rule of Law”.
Look out, limeys! Maricopa county is on your heels for that “Big Brother” award.
a very large rock needs to fall on Ole’ Joe’s head at terminal velocity.
This is nuts. Forget Maricopa: this is blatant attack on the independence of the judiciary and judges will HAVE to assert their power before it gets out of control. Here’s hoping, because once they do, its game over for Sheriff Joe.
Pissing on judges is never a good idea, and there are judges who are way more powerful than Sheriff Joe’s gang. Imagine any of the Sheriffs’ gang coming into court, before the people who have the power to literally destroy you.
Then, there is the police generally. Judges have been willing to take the words of the cops for years, despite evidence that law enforcement is its own interest group. Sheriff Joe shows clearly that they can be just as self-interested and hostile against judges as they can be against anyone else who crosses them. Wanna bet that judges will be so deferential in future?
If Arpaio doesn’t end up in jail for all of this, something is seriously wrong (I know, I shouldn’t be surprised). Please correct me if I am wrong, but don’t police and sherriffs basically work for the courts? Isn’t their entire purpose to bring accused law breakers before the courts and to carry out the orders of the courts?
I’ve never heard of such a thing. It’s beyond time for the State authorities (AG? State Police? Who knows.) to step in and take over.
The article on the charges against Judge Donahoe mention that Thomas hired three “special prosecutors” to handle the case against the County Supervisor. His pick? Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing from DC. Words fail me.
Can someone start gathering information on Arpaio, Thomas, and other high ranking Maricopa criminals? Addresses, routes of travel, children’s schools, etc.?
What would have to happen to be a surprise, at this point? Anything from Arpaio retiring amidst a scandal to a Waco-style federal raid on the sheriff’s office would be completely in line with events so far.
Joe just doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone. There are going to be a lot of NOT GUILTY or other averse decisions in that county soon. You gotta believe that SOMETHING is going to be done, cause you do not intentionally piss off judges at your own risk. Jeez they can’t be THAT stupid, can they?
Bullet # 4: “Then it gets weird.”
When you are already on Bizarro World, “weird” is just another day in Joe Arpaio’s life.
Sherriff Joe joining an ashram. Or converting to Rastafarianism.
SJE “This is nuts. Forget Maricopa: this is blatant attack on the independence of the judiciary and judges will HAVE to assert their power before it gets out of control.”
Well the judges have rubber stamped their warrents and kissed the cops asses for years so they have helped to create this monster and its only fitting that it should eventually turn and attack it’s maker.
Oh by the way, hahahahahah! Pass the popcorn!
I don’t know what’s more astonishing about this case, the actual course of events or the fact that the most mainstream media outlets have basically ignored it.
Ben (the other one)
“I’ve never heard of such a thing. It’s beyond time for the State authorities (AG? State Police? Who knows.) to step in and take over.”
No way the state police break the blue wall. How are the judges going to enforce their orders? Like Stalin said when he was told the pope was displeased with him. “And how many divisions does the pope have?”
The guys with the guns are pitching a shut out so far.
Matt, why don’t you keep your stupid ideas to yourself? What do children have to do with anything? Such suggestions are the actions of a coward at best, and a terrorist at worst. I doubt you’d have the courage to carry out any action, but if you did, I hope you suffer swift punishment, regardless of how corrupt the blood relations of your innocent victims may be.
I’ve read Balko for years and regardless of how much I agree or disagree with him, he has always demonstrated impeccably ethical behavior. I’d bet a year’s pay that he would find your suggestion despicable.
In fact, given the effectiveness of this website in exposing corrupt officials, I would not be surprised if you were an agent provocateur.
I’d love nothing better than to see Boss Arpaio and his gangster-like henchmen convicted and locked away in federal prison for a long time for all of the crimes they have committed. And, frankly, I could care less if they were put away by a kangaroo court, without proper due process, so they are treated precisely as they have treated their victims. When they deny others their rights, they lose their own.
And in the latest twist, Heat City is reporting that Stoddard has been ordered released by an appeals court pending a ruling Jan. 5th. I’m curious to see if the sheriff’s office will now be able to deliver defendants to the courtrooms in a timely manner now that they’re no longer “short staffed”.
Its like the praetorian guard when they finally figured out “Hey we got the muscle and the armour. Let’s just kill Ceasar.”
Frankly, we need a lot more of these constitutional crises, where one branch of government defies the other two.
@#8 Matt,
Obvious troll is obvious.
So at what point does the state/federal government step in? (when Arpaio declares martial law and starts throwing the judges in jail)
To anyone who thinks I am a troll.
You will NEVER see any change until you are willing to risk your life to acheive it. You can continue to whine and hope someone else will step in and solve the problems, but I’ve got news for you, no one will. The Federal government will NOT do anything about Arpaio. You can continue to write and hope something will change, but just look at the last 10 years and tell me what you think you’ve accomplished.
Anyway, to save anyone from feeling set up, I don’t suggest anyone do anything illegal. But the fact is that you all wish that there were someone out there who would. Though 99% of you don’t want it to be you.
@ #5 says
“Wanna bet that judges will be so deferential in future?”
I’d love to believe this will change judges behavior, if not nation-wide, then maybe at least in Maricopa County. But, it won’t. At least not in any case that doesn’t involve a judge.
Um, doesn’t not delivering defendents to court dates open the county up for a massive 6th Amendment violation law suit?
It seems to me it would be like taking candy from a baby to win a case that obviously shows law enforcement preventing defendents from appearing at their own court dates.
Nice summary here: http://sonoranweeklyreview.com/?p=1303&cpage=1
Article IV, Section 4-
“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government…”
Maybe it’s finally time to send in the feds.
But hey, he’s tough on illegal immigrants! And he makes criminals wear pink undewear!
In other news, I’ve noticed that Arpaio’s wikipedia page is regularly patrolled by his supporters who remove anything remotely controversial except how many times he’s been sued.
A novel idea: why not initiate private prosecution against Sheriff Joe and the County Attorney. If the DA for Maricopa county is unwilling/unable to do what should be done to combat what amounts to a breakdown in the relationship of the courts, prosecuting authorities and the chief law enforcement body of that county, why not have an enterprising attorney (and lover of liberty) file charges against them. Yes, the state and/or feds should step in and do something, but why should that be the default option?
Mitch
“I don’t know what’s more astonishing about this case, the actual course of events or the fact that the most mainstream media outlets have basically ignored it.”
Come on Mitch, there are other, more vitally important stories to cover. Like how many girlfreind’s does Tiger Woods have?
Better idea:
Bring in Billy Jack.
Ok, I keep reading this and I can’t believe that this is truly happening. Every time I read a new post about this I feel like I’m reading some soviet era dissidents notebooks on how the secret police was controlling the government. WTF! Is going on in Arizona – and why hasn’t people of that state woken up to what the heck is going on?
Looks like all the “law’n-awduh” types are getting what they want with all of this. Sheriff Joe is one of ‘em, so they’ll support him. Won’t they?
I wonder at what percentage Maricopa County voters will return this man to office?
As H.L. Menken said, democracy is the idea that the people know what kind of government they want and they deserve to get it — good and hard.
The good people of Maricopa County are getting exactly what they voted for. I hope they appreciate it.
Can’t give Yizmo enough karma for Billy Jack.
[...] The Agitator: Update in Maricopa County [...]
#2 Well, what do you expect when your county is full of snowbirds and Joe’s reelection campaign consists of “spics high on weed are coming over the border to rape your granddaughters, I am your only line of defense: Vote Joe”?
Joe Cartoon would do a better job as Sheriff in Marikafka County.
#4 The feds need to get off their ass and clean house.
#28 Does AZ allow private prosecution?
#29 I thought that was overshadowed by the TSA manual “discovered” on the internet
#32 I believe he was recently reelected
I got in my time machine to see how this ends.
Sheriff Joe retired with full bennies and no charges filed.
Judges put their head in the sand.
A couple cops got “suspended with pay and retraining”. Retraining was done with hunting and fishing trips to Colorado.
“Legit” Media never covered anything.
Just like Madoff was a warning to the financial sector, the tale of Sheriff Joe is trying to warn us of something coming ’round the mountain.
Matt I. #22 said:
“Anyway, to save anyone from feeling set up, I don’t suggest anyone do anything illegal. But the fact is that you all wish that there were someone out there who would. Though 99% of you don’t want it to be you.”
Bull. I don’t want anything illegal to happen to Joe Arpaio or Andrew Thomas. What should be coming to them legally is more than enough.
Maybe it’s contagious:
Judge Holds Pentagon in Contempt:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/10/gitmo.contempt/index.html
Dictionary definition of EPIC FAIL: See Arpaio, Sheriff Joe.
It’s cross-referenced with CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.
I’m surprised The Daily Show hasn’t jumped on this story…it’s up its alley and so outrageous.
Yeah, this is an example of really stupid overreach on Arpaio’s part. The police and prosecutor will have one hell of a time functioning at all in a power struggle with the state’s judges. (The other judges are sure as hell paying attention to this case.)
This is something that happens to very powerful people, right? You start thinking that because you’re powerful, you’re invincible. And then you overreach, and find that you weren’t really all that powerful after all.
My guess is that in a year, Arpaio will be enormously less powerful, and quite possibly in prison somewhere, especially if he continues to escalate the conflict.
albatross “My guess is that in a year, Arpaio will be enormously less powerful, and quite possibly in prison somewhere, especially if he continues to escalate the conflict.”
You really think so Albatross? I was kind of leaning towards the judges caving in and Arpaio becoming even more brazen and ridiculous. Anyway, I hope you’re right.
Good golly people, the Sheriff is the top law enforcement officer in their county. Even the feds must seek their permission to work in their county, even if they are investigating the Sheriff.
Judges can rule all they want but as Jefferson said, ‘let them try to enforce it.’ The executive enforces rulings—in this case the Sheriff.
The (executive) Sheriff and the County Prosecutor are after both the legislative (County Board of Supervisors in this case) AND the judiciary. Sweet eh? Wonder who wins?
Is it the ones with the laws?
Is it the ones with the rules?
Is it the ones with the guns?
Anyone want to place bets. You are watching your future…it always begins in Arizona. That is wy the New World Order has made sure who runs this place. The latest now runs the American Gestapo.
[...] and re-elected. Now, I’m not going to rehash what is going on there. Other, more capable people then I are doing so. But I want to go back to that [...]
Judges can rule all they want but as Jefferson said, ‘let them try to enforce it.’
That was Jackson, the Joe Arpaio of his time.
[...] Radley Balko: It’s gotten so surreal out in Arizona, I’m a little lost in the details. But as I understand it, here’s what’s happened since our last update: [...]