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Followup on Maricopa County case
The case involving the deputy who read over and grabbed the defense attorney's papers gets stranger by the moment, even allowing that the county attorney up there and the sheriff are reputedly, well, nuts.
As noted earlier, the judge held the deputy in contempt. Now the county attorney has filed felony charges against the judge. On a quick read they are pretty strange. For one thing, they are quite ambiguous. The judge provided "money, transportation, weapon or disguise or other means of avoiding discovery, apprehension, prosecution of conviction" to any judges, officials, or attorneys (only two being named).
For another, look at the verification. "Subscribed and sworn upon information and belief this 9th day of December 2009" .... and there is no signature of a notary. Then it has the judge's home address.
BTW, the defendant is the chief criminal judge of the county.
At the end is the explanation. Cripes ... the judge apparently denied the county's motion to recuse himself, and county lost an appeal. Then he failed to hold someone in contempt that the county thought should be held in contempt. And he responded to claims that the sheriffs' office didn't have enough manpower to transport people to court for bail-setting hearings (meaning people remained in jail without necessity) by suggesting that if the number of inmates was reduced this would cease to be a problem.
I have trouble reading further. This suggests a remarkable assault on the judiciary by the executive branch. Rule our way or face prosecution! I hope the judge files a 1983 action and puts a few wingnuts in their place.
Comments
All I can say is that regardless of which Maricopa County government functionary we are talking about I am hoping that one of them gets sent to jail soon because from what I can figure I think this is all one giant knot that can't be cut until election day 2012 (or retention day 2010) if that. All these indictments and suits will benefit few save for the lawyers who engage in this drama.
It's been two years since the Sheriff had Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin (with the Phoenix New Times) arrested and nothing notable has happened on that lawsuit come two full years later.
Thane Eichenauer
I live in Maricopa County - woo hoo!
Posted by: Thane Eichenauer at December 9, 2009 11:30 PM
I think Sheriff Joe will look good being escorted by US Marshals.
Attacking judges has the pretty obvious downside of eventually getting to a judge you can't attack who doesn't take kindly to attacks on his brethren...
-Gene
Posted by: Gene Hoffman at December 10, 2009 12:22 AM
It simply is time to remove sheriff Joe and the prosecutor at gunpoint from their offices and place them in the federal penetentiary at Florence until they can be tried in Federal Court.
The governor must be a really weak reed to allow this crap to continue. Or perhaps he has skeletons that are known to Joe and Stupid. My bet is skeletons.
Posted by: straightarrow at December 10, 2009 12:43 AM
Can't help but wonder if they caught him in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.
Posted by: straightarrow at December 10, 2009 12:44 AM
The judges will take of themselves on this one.
Posted by: Letalis Maximus, Esq. at December 10, 2009 04:21 AM
The Judge's employer is "UNKNOWN"?
That seems kinda sloppy.
Posted by: Letalis Maximus, Esq. at December 10, 2009 04:23 AM
This is like watching a train wreck...
Posted by: Jim at December 10, 2009 05:18 AM
These people all swore to uphold the law...
Posted by: Kman at December 10, 2009 05:46 AM
Is it more clear that AZ has full blown lunatics running that government. That state repeatedly contacted me to move my business there. I would love to beat the winters in Idaho but something just didn't feel right and now I'm more glad I didn't take them up on it. Who on earth wants to live with such lunacy and be forced to pay for it.
Posted by: AvgJoe at December 10, 2009 07:02 AM
This is totally bizarre.
Posted by: Assman at December 10, 2009 10:52 AM
Fascinating. A a pissing match (can I say that here?) between two branches that have discretion to act and sovereign immunity. It's like a fight between Superman and Wolverine.
The criminal discovery process should be spectacular.
Posted by: jnheath at December 10, 2009 11:29 AM
I can't believe that this is going anywhere good for the DA, or Sheriff Joe...
I've always been willing to give Joe a pass, even when I lived in Az. Time for him to move to Sun City and retire, for good.
Posted by: Flighterdoc at December 10, 2009 12:11 PM
David -
Keep us posted of developments in this little adventure. Looks like it will be fun to watch.
I can't imagine what that deputy thought he was doing in the first place. The rest has been surreal. Like Jerry Springer, with better clothes.
Posted by: GMC70 at December 10, 2009 12:13 PM
It's a shame the Sheriffs tried to double-down. This all could have gone away with a simple whoopsie....
Posted by: Flighterdoc at December 10, 2009 01:44 PM
I'm thinking that Sherriff Joe pushed this one too far.
Just wondering, if they arrest him, will they hold him in Tent City?
(Thane - you probably don't remember me but I used to hang out with your sister back in the mid 90's in Scottsdale. Small world).
Posted by: jdberger at December 10, 2009 04:06 PM
Holy shit, this blows my mind.
Posted by: Jim W at December 11, 2009 01:50 AM
Sounds like "red on red".
Posted by: Jim D. at December 11, 2009 09:35 PM
The beginning of the end for Big Jim Garrison was when he took on the New Orleans judges personally and found himself getting hammered by SCOTUS. Could be similar overreaching in the desert?
Posted by: The Little Coach at December 14, 2009 11:52 AM