From AZCentral.com -
A Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer was found in contempt of court Wednesday for his decision to remove a document from a defense attorney's file during a sentencing hearing last month.
The officer was ordered by a judge to hold a press conference to apologize for his actions - an order that Sheriff Joe Arpaio immediately said would be defied.
“My officer was doing his job and I will not stand by and allow him to be thrown to the wolves by the courts because they feel pressure from the media on this situation,” Arpaio said in a press release. He further said, "I decide who holds press conferences and when they are held regarding this Sheriff’s Office.”
4 comments:
I can sympathize (a very little) bit with the officer but none at all with Mr. Arpaio. I would think that a judge (not the media) telling him his employee did wrong would be enough.
The lawlessness evident between between the Maricopa county sheriff, the Maricopa county attorney and the various other parts of government is distressing.
I hope that enough people notice this that come 2012 that there is a change of management. I would hope for a recall but considering what Arpaio does to those who oppose him I wouldn't think anybody would be willing to put themselves in front of the Arpaio bus.
Joe Arpaio knows he can always get 51% of the vote in Maricopa county, so he figures he is therefore the Lord and Master of the Universe. He can be sued-- successfully-- to the tune of millions of county taxpayer dollars that have been paid out in damage awards over the years, his underlings can engage in open and rampant corruption, he can spend hundreds of thousands of more dollars on lavish excesses even when everyone else has to tighten their belts, he can openly engage in racial profiling (and in the process harrass and arrest dozens of American citizens with no apology given) and he can abuse the authority of his office to harrass, intimidate and smear political opponents, but because he is "Macho" and makes 'criminals' wear pink underwear and makes life harder on undocumented workers he will always get the support of a majority on election day, and therefore is answerable to no one.
I'm fortunate that I don't live in Maricopa County, and I actually do live in a county where the sheriff is more interested in enforcing the law than in creating a Kim Jong Il-like cult of personality.
Thane:
For once we agree. If our law enforcement officials are free to disregard the laws that apply to the rest of us, then what is the point of having a law.
Eli Blake,
I will disagree with you on two points. First is that Arpaio cannot know that he will get 51% of the vote.
Second is that as dislikable as I find Arpaio the comparison with Kim Jong-Il is invalid. He appeals to the fears that many voters in Arizona hold dear. If enough people examine the reason behind their fear they will drop their support of Arpaio.
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