Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The "reign of terror" in the state of Maricopa recently documented by the ethics panel of the Arizona Supreme Court in the disbarment of former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is unraveling.
"King" Russell Pearce has been disgraced in the first successful recall of a Senate leader in our nation's history.
Andrew Thomas and his accomplice in crime, Lisa Aubuchon, have been disbarred.
But the ringleader of this "reign of terror," Maricopa County Sheriff "Crazy Uncle Joe" Arpaio, so far has evaded Justice and being held accountable for his rank corruption.
Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio soon has a date with Justice. Feds head toward lawsuit vs. Sheriff Joe Arpaio:
The lead attorney in the U.S. Justice Department's efforts to resolve a civil-rights complaint with Sheriff Joe Arpaio has cut off verbal communication with Arpaio's attorney, saying the entire affair is best left for the courts to decide.
* * *
"It is clear that DOJ's concerted effort to attain voluntary compliance by your client has failed," Deputy U.S. Assistant Attorney General Roy Austin wrote to Arpaio attorney Joe Popolizio.
"It is also clear that we should not discuss anything else by telephone because you will not accurately portray those conversations," Austin continued. "At this point, it is best to let a court determine the appropriateness of appointing an independent monitor as well as imposing other relief in order to address MCSO's constitutional and federal statutory violations."
* * *
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not comment late Wednesday on when the federal government would sue the Sheriff's Office.
One of the targets of Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio's politically motivated witch hunts, County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, recently settled her claim against Maricopa County for a rumored $1 million. She had this to say to the Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required). Wilcox: Arpaio is ‘next big step’ after Thomas disbarment | Arizona Capitol Times:
Failed corruption investigations launched by America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff have succeeded in getting one of the lawman’s top allies disbarred.
And despite Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s efforts to distance himself from cases at the center of a legal ethics panel inquiry that cost a pair of former county prosecutors their careers — the fallout has moved closer.
“Sheriff Arpaio is the next big step,” said Mary Rose Wilcox, a Maricopa County official who has been at odds with the sheriff and his allies. “He will fall.”
The ethics board’s sweeping ruling against former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and one of his assistant prosecutors says they wrongfully brought criminal charges against a pair of county officials, including Wilcox, in December 2009.
The panel said the charges were brought to embarrass the county officials and the judge who had been at odds with Arpaio and Thomas.
* * *
[I]nvestigations by [Arpaio's] anti-public corruption squad were discussed heavily during the ethics investigation into Thomas and one of his deputy prosecutors, Lisa Aubuchon.
* * *
The ruling disbarring Thomas and Aubuchon marked the first official comment by the state’s legal establishment on the validity of the investigations.
It also supported lawyers who said Arpaio and Thomas wrongly went after judges, attorneys and government officials who crossed them, using criminal investigations as a weapon.
Longtime critics are predicting the damage from the failed cases will do what Justice Department lawsuits, claims of civil rights violations and protests over his hardline stance on immigration could not — hurt him with voters.
* * *
The ethics panel ruled that Thomas and Aubuchon broke criminal intimidation and perjury laws in knowingly bringing false bribery charges against Donahoe.
“It was clear to us that Mr. Thomas and Ms. Aubuchon were not working independent of the sheriff and vice versa,” said John Gleason, an attorney who led the case on behalf of the State Bar of Arizona.
Other county officials and judges who were at odds with Arpaio and Thomas also were investigated but weren’t charged with crimes.
* * *
The ruling said Hendershott credited Arpaio with coming up with the idea of charging the judge, and the sheriff’s investigator who signed the criminal complaint hadn’t done any investigation of Donahoe.
Separate from the attorney disciplinary case, a federal grand jury also has been investigating Arpaio’s office on criminal abuse-of-power allegations since at least December 2009 and is specifically examining the investigative work of the sheriff’s anti-public corruption squad that produced the unsuccessful probes.
It is long past time for the voters of the state of Maricopa to pull their heads out of their ass and to vote "America's Most Corrupt Sheriff" out of office. It is time to end Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio's "reign of terror." If not, you condone and ratify his abuse of power and rank corruption, and what does that say about your lack of moral character and judgment? Don't embarrass this state any further. Prove that you are capable of doing the right thing.