Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is officially charged with criminal contempt
Will the voters of Maricopa County, Arizona reelect a Sheriff charged with criminal contempt? We shall see in November.
AP reports that controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been charged with criminal contempt of court for ignoring a federal judge’s order in a civil rights lawsuit. The news will not help Sheriff Arpaio in his reelection bid, with the election in two weeks before election day. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton signed the contempt charge. Sheriff Arpaio could face up to six months in jail if convicted. Trial is set for December 6.
The criminal charges stem from the profiling case that Sheriff Arpaio lost three years ago. He was accused of violating a 2011 court order. Sheriff Arpaio has admitted violating the order but claims that the violation was not intentional. The court disagreed, finding that Sheriff Arpaio knowingly continued immigration patrols because he believed immigration enforcement efforts would help his 2012 reelection campaign.
Arpaio ran a TV political ad last week claiming that the Obama administration was prosecuting him because of its opposition to his immigration enforcement efforts.
KJ