Sheriff Joe Arpaio sues Obama to halt executive amnesty

[BEATINGU]

Wow! This guy is a hero. I hope he secures himself a high-level cabinet position once Ted Cruz is President.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio filed the first lawsuit late Thursday seeking to halt President Obama’s new executive action on immigration, saying he has abused his presidential powers and ignored the Constitution and the will of Congress.

“While defendant Obama hijacks the language of previous immigration regulation and law, defendant Obama fundamentally transforms the definition of key terms to create a radically new and different regime of immigration law and regulation,” Sheriff Arpaio said in the lawsuit, which was filed minutes after Mr. Obama announced his plans to the nation.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...#ixzz3JqBlutGY

[BEATINGU]

Ted Cruz will win the Presidency with Mike Lee as his VP.

He will then appoint Sherrif Joe for Secretary of Defense, Rand Paul for Secretary of State, Ron Paul for Secretary of the Treasury, and Ben Carson for Secretary of Health and Human Services

[brighamw]

You are drunk BEATINGU go home!

[BEATINGU]

You are drunk BEATINGU go home!

It's cold though, and the cheap malt liquor helps keep me warm.

[Apeus]

Wow! This guy is a hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio#Controversies


Unconstitutional jail conditions

Federal Judge Neil V. Wake ruled in 2008, and again in 2010, that the Maricopa County jails violated the constitutional rights of inmates in medical and other care related issues.[35][36] This ruling was a result of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU, which alleged that "Arpaio routinely abused pre-trial detainees at Maricopa County Jail by feeding them moldy bread, rotten fruit and other contaminated food, housing them in cells so hot as to endanger their health, denying them care for serious medical and mental health needs and keeping them packed as tightly as sardines in holding cells for days at a time during intake."[66]

In a ruling issued in October 2010, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Arpaio to follow Judge Wake's 2008 ruling, which required Arpaio to end severe overcrowding and ensure all detainees receive necessary medical and mental health care, be given uninterrupted access to all medications prescribed by correctional medical staff, be given access to exercise and to sinks, toilets, toilet paper and soap and be served food that meets or exceeds the U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines.[67][68][69][70]

In the case of Braillard v. Maricopa County, the plaintiff's attorney cited numerous reports commissioned and paid for by Maricopa county, dating back as far as 1996, detailing a "culture of cruelty" where inmates are routinely denied humane healthcare at Maricopa County Jails run by Arpaio. Testifying in this case, Arpaio stated that he could not deny making the statement that even if he had a billion dollars he wouldn’t change the way he runs his jails.[71]

Arpaio has publicly stated that his jails are meant as places for punishment, and that their inhabitants are all criminals. Most jail inmates are pre-trial detainees, who are considered innocent until proven guilty.[72]

Improper clearance of MCSO cases

Under Arpaio, the MCSO may have improperly cleared as many as 75% of cases without arrest or proper investigation.[73][74][75][76]

The sheriff's office failed to properly investigate serious crimes, including the rape of a 14-year-old girl by classmates,[77][78] the rape of a 15-year-old girl by two strangers.[79][80] These cases were "exceptionally cleared" without investigation or even identifying a suspect in one case which are not in accordance with the FBI standards for exceptional clearance.[79][81] In the case of the 15-year-old girl, the case was closed within one month and before DNA testing was even complete, the 13-year-old's because her mother did not want to "...pursue this investigation," and the 14-year-old's because a suspect declined to come in for questioning.[77][79] In a statement to ABC15, the Sheriff's Office claimed, "The Goldwater Institute’s report cites the FBI’s Uniform Code Reporting handbook, which is a voluntary crime-reporting program to compile statistical information and reports. The UCR is not intended for oversight on how law enforcement agencies clear cases...The Sheriff’s Office has its own criteria for clearing cases."[78]

In an interview on the ABC Nightline news program, when asked to explain why 82 percent of cases were declared cleared by exception, Arpaio said "We do clear a higher percentage of that. I know that. We clear many, many cases – not 18 percent." Nightline contacted the MCSO after the interview and was told that of 7,346 crimes, only 944, or 15%, had been cleared by arrest.[82]

Failure to investigate sex crimes

During a three-year period ending in 2007, more than 400 sex-crimes reported to Arpaio's office were inadequately investigated, or not investigated at all. While providing police services for El Mirage, Arizona, the MCSO under Arpaio failed to follow-through on at least 32 reported child molestations, even though the suspects were known in all but six cases. Many of the victims were children of undocumented immigrants.[79][83]

Justification for ignoring sex crimes

An internal memo written by one of the detectives assigned to the Morrison case blamed a high case load, saying the special victims unit had gone from five detectives to just three, and the detectives left were often called off their cases to investigate special assignments. They included a credit card fraud case involving the Arizona Diamondbacks and a mortgage fraud case in Arpaio's home city of Fountain Hills.[84]

When county supervisors provided more than $600,000 to fund six additional detective positions to investigate child abuse in fiscal 2007, none were added to the sex-crimes squad. Sheriff’s administrators now say they have no idea where those positions were added or what became of the money after it was added to the budget.[85]

A 13-year-old rape victim ignored

Among the victims that were ignored by Arpaio and the MCSO is Sabrina Morrison, a teenage girl suffering from a mental disability. On March 7, 2007, when she was 13 years old, she was raped by her uncle, Patrick Morrison. She told her teacher the next day, and her teacher called the MCSO. A rape kit was taken. But, the detective assigned to the case told Sabrina and her family that there were no obvious signs of sexual assault, no semen, or signs of trauma.[86]

As a result of the detective's statements, Sabrina was branded by her family as a liar. Her uncle continued to repeatedly rape her, saying he would kill her if she told anyone. She became pregnant from him, and had an abortion. The family did not know that the rape kit had been tested at the state lab, and showed the presence of semen. The lab requested that the detective obtain a blood sample from the suspect, Patrick Morrison.[87]

Instead of obtaining the blood sample, or making an arrest, the detective filed the crime lab note and closed the case for four years. Five years later Patrick Morrison was arrested and later admitted to his crime and was sentenced to 24 years in prison[87]

The Morrison case, reopened after 4 years lying dormant

It was not until September 2011 that the Sheriff's Office finally obtained a blood sample from Patrick Morrison, which was a DNA match with the semen taken over 4 years earlier. It wasn't until February 29, 2012, that Patrick Morrison was arrested and charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor, at which point the MCSO closed the case. Only later was Sabrina's uncle charged with additional indictments based on information obtained from Sabrina by a victim's advocate, after the MCSO had closed the case. Patrick Morrison ultimately pled guilty, and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.[citation needed]

In August 2012, Sabrina Morrison filed a $30 million notice of claim (a precursor to a lawsuit) against Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County for gross negligence.[88]

In December 2011, responding to continuing media coverage of the controversy, and apparently unaware that there were hundreds of victims in these cases, Arpaio stated, in a press conference, "If there were any victims, I apologize to those victims."[89]

Feuds with judges and County Supervisors

Between 2008 and 2010, Arpaio and former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas together undertook a number of government-corruption investigations targeting political opponents, including judges, county supervisors and administrators, resulting in filing of criminal charges against several individuals, lawsuits against the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and a federal civil-racketeering suit against the supervisors, four judges, and attorneys who worked with the county.[90]

In early 2010, Arpaio and Thomas sought to have a grand jury indict a number of Maricopa County Judges, Maricopa County Supervisors, and employees of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The grand jury, in an unusual rebuke, ordered the investigation ended. This action has been described as meaning that "...the case is so bad, there's no further evidence that could be brought [to substantiate it]". Legal experts agree this is a rare move.[91]

Arpaio and Thomas lost every case, either by ruling of the courts, or by dropping the case.[92]

Arpaio's and Thomas' actions in these matters lead to Thomas' disbarment by a disciplinary panel of the Arizona Supreme Court, which found that Thomas "outrageously exploited power, flagrantly fostered fear, and disgracefully misused the law" while serving as Maricopa County Attorney. The panel found "clear and convincing evidence" that Thomas brought unfounded and malicious criminal and civil charges against political opponents, including four state judges and the state attorney general.[93] "Were this a criminal case," the panel concluded, "we are confident that the evidence would establish this conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt."[94][95]

At least 11 individuals filed lawsuits or legal claims as a result of being targeted by Arpaio and Thomas. The county settled all 11 cases, at significant cost:[90][96]

*Gary Donahoe, retired Superior Court judge: $1,275,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $767,127.

*Kenneth Fields, retired Superior Court judge: $100,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $81,040.

*Barbara Mundell, retired Superior Court judge: $500,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $134,273.

*Anna Baca, retired Superior Court judge: $100,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $112,588.

*Stephen Wetzel, former county technology director: $75,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $107,647.

*Sandi Wilson, deputy county manager and county budget director: $122,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $458,318.

*Don Stapley, former county supervisor: $3.5 million settlement. County legal expenses: $1,682,020.

*Mary Rose Wilcox, county supervisor: $975,000 settlement, plus 9,938 in court-ordered legal costs. County legal expenses to date: over $375,442.

*Susan Schuerman, Stapley’s executive assistant: $500,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $200,201.

*Conley Wolfswinkel, Stapley’s business associate: $1,400,000 settlement. County legal expenses: $1,586,152.

*Andy Kunasek, county supervisor: $123,110 settlement. County legal expenses: $1,150.

*As of June, 2014, costs to Maricopa County taxpayers related to Arpaio's and Thomas's failed corruption investigations exceeded $45 million, not including staff time.[96][97]

[Apeus]

Abuse of power

In February 2010, Judge John Leonardo found that Arpaio "misused the power of his office to target members of the Board of Supervisors for criminal investigation".[98]

In 2008, a federal grand jury began an inquiry of Arpaio for abuse of power, in connection with an FBI investigation.[99][100] On August 31, 2012, the Arizona US Attorney's office announced that it was "closing its investigation into allegations of criminal conduct" by Arpaio, without filing charges.[101]

Arpaio was investigated for politically motivated and "bogus" prosecutions, which a former US Attorney called "utterly unacceptable".[99][100] Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has called Arpaio's "long list" of questionable prosecutions "a reign of terror".[100]

The targets of Arpaio's alleged abuse of power have included:

*Phil Gordon, Phoenix Mayor[99]

*Dan Saban, Arpaio's 2004 and 2008 opponent for the office of Sheriff of Maricopa County[99]

*Terry Goddard, Arizona Attorney General[99]

*David Smith, Maricopa County Manager[99]

*The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors[99]

*Barbara Mundell, Maricopa Superior Court Presiding Judge[99]

*Anna Baca, former Maricopa Superior Court Presiding Judge[102]

*Gary Donahoe, Maricopa Superior Court Criminal Presiding Judge[99]

*Daniel Pochoda, ACLU attorney[99]

*Sandra Dowling, former Maricopa County School Superintendent[100]

*Mike Lacey, Editor, Phoenix New Times[100]

As of July 2010, only Sandra Dowling has been successfully prosecuted.[100] Indicted on 25 felony counts, Dowling eventually pled guilty to patronage for giving a summer job to her daughter, a single class-2 misdemeanor which was not among the original counts, although as part of the plea bargain she also agreed to recuse herself from the Maricopa County Regional School District. Dowling has since filed suit, alleging negligence, malicious prosecution, abuse of process and several constitutional violations, although Arpiao won summary judgment against her claims.[103]

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on August 29, 2012 that the Mike Lacy, Editor, of Phoenix New Times and other executives can sue the Maricopa County sheriff's office for their 2007 arrests.[104]

Election law violation

During the month of July 2010, a committee established by Arpaio, the Campaign to Re-Elect Joe Arpaio 2012, funded advertisements critical of Rick Romley, a candidate in the Republican Primary for Maricopa County Attorney and Arizona Attorney General candidate Tom Horne, despite the fact that Arpaio was not running for re-election at the time (his term did not expire until the end of 2012).[105]

An order issued on the behalf of the Maricopa Elections Department on August 24, 2010, found that one of the advertisements, a direct mailer, advocated the defeat of Romley, and was an in-kind contribution to Bill Montgomery (Romley's primary election opponent), in violation of Arizona election law. The order stated that the Campaign to Re-Elect Joe Arpaio 2012 will be fined three times the amount of money that was spent on the mailer.[106] In September, 2010, Arpaio's campaign was fined $153,978 in this matter.[107] Montgomery ultimately defeated Romley in the primary election, with Romley stating Arpaio's ads "hurt" his results.[108]

Misuse of funds

An analysis by the Maricopa County Office of Management and Budget, completed in April 2011, found Arpaio had misspent almost $100 million over the previous 5 years.[109][110][111]

The analysis showed that money from a restricted detention fund which could only legally be used to pay for jail items, such as food, detention officers' salaries and equipment, was used to pay employees to patrol Maricopa County.[109] The analysis also showed that many Sheriff's Office employees, whose salaries were paid from the restricted detention fund, were working job assignments different from those recorded in their personnel records. Arpaio's office kept a separate set of personnel books detailing actual work assignments, different from information kept on the county's official human-resources records.[110]

Arpaio used the detention fund to pay for investigations of political rivals, and activities involving his human-smuggling unit.[109][110]

The analysis also showed a number of inappropriate spending items, including a trip to Alaska where deputies stayed at a fishing resort, and trips to Disneyland.[110][112]

Separate investigations by The Arizona Republic uncovered widespread abuse of public funds and county policies by Arpaio's office, including high-ranking employees routinely charging expensive meals and stays at luxury hotels on their county credit cards.[113]

The Republic also found that a restricted jail enhancement fund was improperly used to pay for out-of-state training, a staff party at a local amusement park, and a $456,000 bus, which was purchased by Arpaio in violation of county procurement rules.[109][114]

Munnell memo

In September 2010, a 63 page internal memo, written by Maricopa Deputy Chief Frank Munnell, was made public. The memo alleged years of misconduct and mismanagement by Arpaio's second in command and other top MCSO officers, including the use of a public-corruption task force to conduct politically motivated probes into political opponents. The memo alleged that top officials in the MCSO "willfully and intentionally committed criminal acts by attempting to obstruct justice, tamper with witnesses, and destroy evidence."[115] Arpaio forwarded the memo to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, requesting they conduct an administrative investigation. Former top MCSO staffers claimed that Arpaio knew of the acts alleged in the Munnell memo, but took no action to stop them.[116] Arpaio has not commented publicly on the allegations.

In October 2010, the US Attorney for Arizona confirmed that the FBI and Department of Justice had received copies of the Munnell memo, and were conducting criminal investigations into its allegations.[117]

Staged assassination plot

In 1999, undercover MCSO deputies arrested James Saville, then 18 years old, and charged him with plotting to kill Arpaio with a pipe bomb. A local television station had been tipped off to the arrest by the MCSO, and broadcast footage of the arrest that evening. The MCSO held a news conference shortly after the arrest, and Arpaio appeared in interviews on local television stations, saying "If they think they are going to scare me away with bombs and everything else, it's not going to bother me."[118]

After spending four years in jail awaiting trial, Saville was about to sign a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 20 years. Although he maintained his innocence, he was initially unwilling to take a chance on being sentenced to even longer than that had he been convicted. However, the former head of undercover investigations for the MCSO called Saville's legal team with a bombshell--based on his review of the case, he felt that Saville had been entrapped. Although entrapment is all but impossible to prove in most jurisdictions, Saville's attorneys eventually discovered that MCSO detectives had bought the bomb parts themselves, then convinced Saville to build it even though he was not predisposed to commit such a crime. On July 9, 2003, a Maricopa County Superior Court jury acquitted Saville, finding that the bomb plot was an elaborate publicity stunt to boost Arpaio's reelection bid.[119]

In 2004, Saville sued Arpaio and Maricopa County for wrongful arrest and entrapment, seeking $10 million in damages. In 2008, the suit was settled, with Maricopa County paying Saville $1.6 million.[120][121][122]

What a ****ing hero.

Just the type of person who belongs in a cabinet position.

[brighamw]

What a ****ing hero.

Just the type of person who belongs in a cabinet position.

Nobodies perfect...

[BEATINGU]

What a ****ing hero.

Just the type of person who belongs in a cabinet position.

He does belong in a cabinet position. You just posted a bunch of liberal non-sense being used to smear him.

The FBI monitors everything he does -- because of his conservative beliefs -- and they have not brought a single criminal charge against him. You know why? It's because he hasn't actually broken a law.

[trailwarrior]

they have not brought a single criminal charge against him. You know why? It's because he hasn't actually broken a law.

[dweeegs]

He does belong in a cabinet position.

You got that right. His loss of tax dollars through lawsuits against his shady actions / mishandling of his job and fuking stupid investigations into a fake birth certificate (which is, still to this day, one of the dumbest fuking things I've ever seen go down on such a scale) would fit perfectly with wasteful government spending.

[HELIX35]

Nobodies perfect...

This is a joke response right?

[brighamw]

This is a joke response right?

We all make mistakes...

[HELIX35]

We all make mistakes...

No

Massive abuse of authority and blatant disregard of law are not "making mistakes"


The fact you believe this to be acceptable is ****ing terrifying

[brighamw]

No

Massive abuse of authority and blatant disregard of law are not "making mistakes"


The fact you believe this to be acceptable is ****ing terrifying

We are a nation of second chances...

[HELIX35]

We are a nation of second chances...

You are beyond gone

This guy has **** on the constitution and the very foundation of this entire country, but hey, 2nd chances amririte

[brighamw]

You are beyond gone

This guy has **** on the constitution and the very foundation of this entire country, but hey, 2nd chances amririte

Let him who is without sin...

[BEATINGU]

This guy has **** on the constitution and the very foundation of this entire country, but hey, 2nd chances amririte

No he hasn't

[gachase21]

Wow! This guy is a hero. I hope he secures himself a high-level cabinet position once Ted Cruz president

I think you might have this backwards op, this sheriff has more leadership experience and qualities than Ted.

[HELIX35]

Let him who is without sin...

Scary

No he hasn't

Scroll up

[BEATINGU]

Scroll up

Still no

[HELIX35]

Still no

The irony is that you claim to be a patriot. You, and those of your ilk, are the entire reason the colonies threw off british rule

[HELIX35]

Let him who is without sin...

Do you have a single thing to say about his massive and corrupt abuses of power? Or do you support any fascist thing he does because he has an (R) next to his name?

[Motaba88]

Is this because Obama is black?

[nutsy54]

Do you have a single thing to say about his massive and corrupt abuses of power? Or do you support any fascist thing he does because he has an (R) next to his name?

Ironic question, since the thread is about Obama's abuse of power...

While most of the posts have been to distract from that topic at all costs.

[TaxPayingTongan]

No

Massive abuse of authority and blatant disregard of law are not "making mistakes"


The fact you believe this to be acceptable is ****ing terrifying

I could say the exact same thing about Obama. Where is your outrage, patriot?

[Apeus]

Ironic question, since the thread is about Obama's abuse of power...

While most of the posts have been to distract from that topic at all costs.

It's about Joe Arpaio just as much as it is Obama, if not more so. That should be pretty obvious from reading the OP.

[BEATINGU]

The irony is that you claim to be a patriot. You, and those of your ilk, are the entire reason the colonies threw off british rule

I'm not a patriot because I don't care that jail inmates aren't getting five-star meals and air conditioning, LMAO!!!

[21infantry]

From Phoenix myself, Sheriff Joe is about 10 times more popular down here than the Dictator known to posses Stalin like qualities the man known as Obama!

[BEATINGU]

From Phoenix myself, Sheriff Joe is about 10 times more popular down here than the Dictator known to posses Stalin like qualities the man known as Obama!

God bless the people of Arizona

[wsuwarrior]

I think you might have this backwards op, this sheriff has more leadership experience and qualities than Ted.

Cruz was in the Senate for about 5 minutes before he took over and became the face of the party. I would say that he has leadership qualities to spare. The radical progressive Marxists you support are so scared of Ted Cruz its not even funny.