On Tuesday, Sheriff Joe Arpaio was charged with criminal contempt-of-court because he ignored a judge’s order in a racial-profiling case. According to KJZZ, “The charging document said the sheriff willfully disobeyed a court order by continuing to make immigration arrests after he was told to stop.”
NPR reported, “In December 2011, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow issued a preliminary injunction ordering Arpaio and his deputies to stop targeting Latino drivers. Prosecutors allege that Arpaio’s deputies defied the injunction for at least 18 months. In May 2013, Snow ruled that Arpaio’s office had engaged in racial profiling.”
Arpaio ignored the order, but insisted later that he had not ignored the order. The judge differed, claiming Arpaio though continuing the patrols would help his 2012 re-election campaign. The initial charge was raised to a contempt of court charge.
Arpaio, 84, will seek a seventh term on November 8; ,if he is convicted he could spend six months in jail.
It has cost county taxpayers 48 million to defend Arpaio and his office; the cost could rise to $72 million.
On October 11, Arpaio released a statement challenging the case against him:
First and foremost, it is clear that the corrupt Obama Justice Department is trying to influence my re-election as Sheriff of Maricopa County. It is no coincidence that this announcement comes 28 days before the election and the day before early voting starts. It is a blatant abuse of power and the people of Maricopa County should be as outraged as I am.
As your elected Sheriff, my job is to enforce the law. Because enforcing illegal immigration laws is not politically correct, within the first 100 days of taking office, Obama put then-Attorney General Eric Holder in charge of pursuing a ‘racial profiling’ case against me – among other trumped up, failed legal pursuits – and eight years later they’re still pursuing the case.
Now, with Obama on his way out of office, he and DOJ officials know this is their last shot at taking me down. This highly unusual charge of criminal contempt against an elected local official should be seen for what is really is: a political maneuver by a corrupt Administration to damage me politically and a continuation of its War on Cops.