{"id":80867,"date":"2017-08-11T22:18:46","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T02:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=80867"},"modified":"2017-08-11T22:23:21","modified_gmt":"2017-08-12T02:23:21","slug":"80867","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=80867","title":{"rendered":"Miscarriage of Justice: Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio convicted of criminal contempt"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzYK-4w\" class=\"story-asset story-metadata-asset\">\n<div class=\"article-metadata-wrap\">\n<section id=\"module-position-QJnXwmxyhxY\" class=\"storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module story-expandable-photo-module\">\n<aside class=\"single-photo expandable-collapsed\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\">\n<h2>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ruled guilty of criminal contempt<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"image-credit-wrap\">Megan Cassidy, The Republic | azcentral.com<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AZCENTRAL - Embed Player\" src=\"\/\/www.azcentral.com\/videos\/embed\/104165682\/?fullsite=true\" width=\"540\" height=\"304\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio\u2019s own words were the linchpin in the case against him, his quotes cited more than 20 times in a federal judge&#8217;s ruling that found him guilty of criminal contempt of court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">In a verdict filed Monday morning, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton said evidence demonstrated Arpaio\u2019s \u201cflagrant disregard\u201d for another federal judge\u2019s order that halted his signature immigration round-ups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The sentencing phase will begin Oct. 5. Arpaio, 85, faces up to six months in confinement, a sentence equivalent to that of a misdemeanor.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzYXe_M\" class=\"story-asset pullquote-asset\">\n<aside class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote-item\">\u201cWe presented a great case.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In what has become customary in judgments against Arpaio, Bolton liberally inserted the lawman\u2019s public remarks, mostly issued through news releases and media clips, to support her opinion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cCredible testimony shows that the Defendant knew of the order and what the order meant in regards to the MCSO\u2019s policy of detaining persons who did not have state charges for turnover to ICE for civil immigration violations,\u201d the ruling read.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cDespite this knowledge, (the) Defendant broadcast to the world and to his subordinates that he would and they should continue \u2018what he had always been doing.\u2019<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzbNpH0\" class=\"story-asset gallery-asset\">\n<div class=\"companion-story-gallery companion-story-gallery0\">\n<div class=\"gallery-sidebar-panel\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"companion-galleries embedded_story hasendslate galleries\" data-gallery-id=\"70443880\" data-title=\"Photos: Sheriff Joe Arpaio through the years:Photos: Sheriff Joe Arpaio through the years\" data-seo-title=\"photos-sheriff-joe-arpaio-through-the-years\" data-ssts=\"news\/local\/phoenix\" data-cst=\"news\/local\/communities_phoenix\" data-published-date=\"2015-03-25T16:37:38.5500000\" data-gal-pageurl=\"http:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/picture-gallery\/news\/local\/phoenix\/2015\/03\/25\/photos-sheriff-joe-arpaio-through-the-years\/70443880\/\">\n<div class=\"viewport gallery-viewport\">\n<div class=\"slide gallery-viewport-slide vertical active\">\n<div class=\"gallery-photo-border\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-photo vertical\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/13c5bc0258f900158090af2105b18101cc2ae064\/c=0-8-1459-1953&amp;r=295&amp;c=0-0-292-390\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/03\/25\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635628947458546961-1993-1-.jpg\" alt=\"Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio as seen in 1993.\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2015\/03\/25\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635628947458546961-1993-1-.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/57c10ab15566a70b8277ab5d7b9650d8f35296e6\/r=281x400\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/03\/25\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635628947458546961-1993-1-.jpg\" data-large-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/a3a270d5365d110dc85e10c27804cb1710c68149\/c=0-8-1459-1953&amp;r=1083&amp;c=0-0-1080-1440\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/03\/25\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635628947458546961-1993-1-.jpg\" data-id=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"buy-photo-btn\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-viewport-meta meta\">\n<h5 class=\"caption gallery-viewport-caption\">Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio as seen in 1993.\u00a0\u00a0<span class=\"credit gallery-viewport-credit\">The Republic<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The verdict is a rejection of Arpaio\u2019s defense: That the order was unclear and that, although mistakes had been made, the violations were unintended. Willful intent is required to prove criminal contempt rather than civil contempt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Reached for comment on Monday, Arpaio deferred most questions to his attorneys but confirmed that he was surprised by the outcome.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cWe presented a great case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Arpaio&#8217;s attorneys issued a statement Monday saying he will appeal the ruling and will continue to press for a jury trial.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Statement from <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealSheriffJoe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RealSheriffJoe<\/a> attorneys after Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt. &quot;Arpaio will appeal to get a jury&quot; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/d6e0FRCeEb\">pic.twitter.com\/d6e0FRCeEb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/meganrcassidy\/status\/892099589112602624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 31, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzbZMeE\" class=\"story-asset oembed-asset\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The statement went on to echo the argument Arpaio\u2019s attorneys repeatedly turned to in court \u2014 that U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow\u2019s order was too ambiguous to be understood and, therefore, followed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cJoe Arpaio is in this for the long haul,\u201d the statement concluded. \u201cAnd he will continue to fight to vindicate himself, to prove his innocence, and to protect the public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Arpaio attorney Jack Wilenchik said the team will be arguing the jury issue \u201camongst many other things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThe verdict\u2019s completely contrary to the evidence,\u201d he said. \u201cJust because another judge in the same court says that it is (that the order was clear) does not mean that it is as a matter of law.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"bx-campaign-556044\" class=\"bxc bx-base bx-custom bx-active-step-1 bx-campaign-556044 bx-width-default bx-type-agilityzone bx-has-close-x-1 bx-has-close- bx-fx-blur bx-impress\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"presto-h2\"><\/h2>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzaD5u4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/3a2a3ed7d0b6314667f5fa98bcbf2e6f6ab4945c\/c=0-7-3958-2983&amp;r=x408&amp;c=540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371376331868226-0804150100dp25.jpg\" alt=\"Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371376331868226-0804150100dp25.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/a8e69869a2dd1fc11546bfb97401f8ca373e4f01\/r=500x377\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371376331868226-0804150100dp25.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h5>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Nick Oza\/The Republic)<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Monday&#8217;s decision caps the latest chapter in a decadelong racial-profiling case that began after allegations that Arpaio\u2019s deputies were targeting Latinos during their immigration-enforcement operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Arpaio\u2019s office was known as the \u201ctip of the spear\u201d that would enforce the state\u2019s hard-line immigration efforts. Its crackdowns included \u201cpretextual\u201d traffic stops to net those in the country illegally\u00a0and patrol sweeps that zeroed in on Hispanic neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Many of those taken into custody were not accused of violating a state crime but only of living in the country illegally. Once they were detained, deputies would turn over the individuals to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol officials, who would initiate deportation proceedings.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-122\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-az-phoenix-C1531-native-article_link-news-local-communities_phoenix-124\" class=\"ad-slot\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_7103\/az-phoenix-C1531\/native-article_link\/news\/local\/communities_phoenix_0__container__\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_7103\/az-phoenix-C1531\/native-article_link\/news\/local\/communities_phoenix_0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"google_ads_iframe_7103\/az-phoenix-C1531\/native-article_link\/news\/local\/communities_phoenix_0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The intent was to essentially act as another arm of the federal government, which has exclusive power to enforce civil-immigration violations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Snow presided over the civil case, ruling in 2013 Arpaio\u2019s office had racially profiled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">At the time, the ruling seemed to signal the end of a costly county battle with civil-rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But the case continued to expand as the Sheriff&#8217;s Office struggled to implement mandated reforms, and as allegations of the office violating Snow\u2019s orders began to cement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In 2015, Snow ordered a civil trial of sorts\u00a0to determine whether Arpaio\u2019s office had violated three separate orders. Two centered on allegations that the department had failed to turn over evidence in case, and the third on whether Arpaio had violated a 2011 preliminary injunction that barred deputies from detaining migrants not suspected of a crime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Last year, Snow found Arpaio and three aides guilty of civil contempt. He then referred Arpaio, two aides and a former attorney for criminal contempt charges, though federal prosecutors opted to only pursue Arpaio, and to charge him only on the preliminary injunction violation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The proceedings lasted four days in June, and closing arguments were heard July 6. It was Arpaio\u2019s first major court appearance since his decisive defeat to Paul Penzone in November\u2019s election.<span style=\"font-size: 12px;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzbj-dg\" class=\"story-asset gallery-asset\">\n<div class=\"companion-story-gallery companion-story-gallery1\">\n<div class=\"companion-galleries embedded_story hasendslate galleries\" data-gallery-id=\"71663692\" data-title=\"Sheriff Joe Arpaio: A newsmaker, in every sense:Sheriff Joe Arpaio: A newsmaker, in every sense\" data-seo-title=\"sheriff-joe-arpaio-a-newsmaker-in-every-sense\" data-ssts=\"news\/arizona\/investigations\" data-cst=\"\" data-published-date=\"2015-09-04T16:18:56.4500000\" data-topic=\"local,local_phoenix,newsletter_news_local_phoenix-news-now\" data-gal-pageurl=\"http:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/picture-gallery\/news\/arizona\/investigations\/2015\/09\/04\/sheriff-joe-arpaio-a-newsmaker-in-every-sense\/71663692\/\">\n<div class=\"viewport gallery-viewport\">\n<div class=\"slide gallery-viewport-slide horizontal active\">\n<div class=\"gallery-photo-border\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-photo horizontal\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/5fe13a64f824397b6e654e8e9e90bc2396ccfb7b\/c=104-0-2100-1501&amp;r=x393&amp;c=520x390\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/09\/03\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635769010287640184-arpaio-baloney.jpg\" alt=\"Sheriff Joe Arpaio chats with inmates inside Tent City\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2015\/09\/03\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635769010287640184-arpaio-baloney.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/aaa527894a8a41c93d8ce192d1488018c3d414d7\/r=500x326\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/09\/03\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635769010287640184-arpaio-baloney.jpg\" data-byline=\"The Republic\" data-large-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/1c0d40ca151ccc9039b211c0d2fcf8a74a6bc42d\/c=104-0-2100-1501&amp;r=x1443&amp;c=1920x1440\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/09\/03\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/635769010287640184-arpaio-baloney.jpg\" data-id=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"buy-photo-btn\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">During the trial, prosecutors from the Justice Department\u2019s Public Integrity section showed how Arpaio\u2019s deputies illegally detained 171 individuals after Snow\u2019s December 2011 injunction.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">They showcased news releases, media clips and old depositions to try to demonstrate Arpaio was more interested in burnishing his political reputation than following a judge\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Arpaio\u2019s hard-line immigration platform was popular with conservatives throughout the country, and he faced re-election in 2012.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In the clips and news releases, Arpaio is quoted \u2014 after the injunction \u2014 as saying that he will continue to enforce state and federal immigration law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In one particularly potent clip, Arpaios is seen talking to an inmate at his jails, who states that Arpaio is outranked by federal law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cNo,\u201d Arpaio said. \u201cNobody is higher than me. I am the elected sheriff by the people. I don\u2019t serve any governor or the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Federal trial attorney John Keller said Arpaio\u2019s words show that he was willfully defiant of Snow\u2019s order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cHe didn\u2019t care about the federal court injunction,\u201d Keller said. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t going to stop him from running his office the way he saw fit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The prosecutors\u2019 strategy seemed to track well with Bolton, who also used Arpaio\u2019s quotes liberally throughout her ruling. She cited various televised interviews with Arpaio, one in which he bragged he would \u201cnever give in to control by the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"presto-h2\">Defense: Judge&#8217;s original order was unclear<\/h2>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzalE4M\" class=\"story-asset gallery-asset\">\n<div class=\"companion-story-gallery companion-story-gallery2\">\n<div class=\"companion-galleries embedded_story hasendslate galleries\" data-gallery-id=\"95795908\" data-title=\"Sheriff Joe Arpaio's raids:Sheriff Joe Arpaio's raids\" data-seo-title=\"sheriff-joe-arpaios-raids\" data-ssts=\"news\/local\/phoenix\" data-cst=\"news\/local\/communities_phoenix\" data-published-date=\"2016-12-23T13:00:53.8630000\" data-gal-pageurl=\"http:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/picture-gallery\/news\/local\/phoenix\/2016\/12\/23\/sheriff-joe-arpaios-raids\/95795908\/\">\n<div class=\"viewport gallery-viewport\">\n<div class=\"slide gallery-viewport-slide horizontal active\">\n<div class=\"gallery-photo-border\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-photo horizontal\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/100c93f78b4087b2adf9e565d930d1417119dc19\/c=174-0-2930-2072&amp;r=x393&amp;c=520x390\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/12\/23\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636180942884153314-PNIBrd2-05-03-2016-Republic-1-A005--2016-05-02-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3-L804839912-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3.jpg\" alt=\"Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks to protesters\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2016\/12\/23\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636180942884153314-PNIBrd2-05-03-2016-Republic-1-A005--2016-05-02-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3-L804839912-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/4044b1e7645488621f157de466cf1a990870caa2\/r=500x333\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/12\/23\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636180942884153314-PNIBrd2-05-03-2016-Republic-1-A005--2016-05-02-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3-L804839912-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3.jpg\" data-byline=\"Nick Oza\/The Republic\" data-large-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/2da78b048f4b2a03869e900c7c7765becea898a4\/c=174-0-2930-2072&amp;r=x1443&amp;c=1920x1440\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/12\/23\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636180942884153314-PNIBrd2-05-03-2016-Republic-1-A005--2016-05-02-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3-L804839912-IMG-PNI-Raid-1-1-5OE8M6A3.jpg\" data-id=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Arpaio\u2019s defense attorneys instead argued that Snow\u2019s order left room for interpretation. For an individual to be found in criminal contempt, the judge\u2019s order must be \u201cclear and definite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Defense attorney Dennis Wilenchik pointed out how numerous people in the Sheriff&#8217;s Office seemed confused about the order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThe only one who understood what Judge Snow meant was Judge Snow himself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Another key defense strategy involved shifting blame to Tim Casey, Arpaio\u2019s former defense attorney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Dennis\u00a0Wilenchik said Casey neglected to follow up on training scenarios that would have clarified the order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Casey had testified earlier that he had explained the order several times, and that Arpaio had assured him the office already wasn\u2019t doing the things the order prohibited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Ultimately, Dennis Wilenchik had said, there was \u201cnot one shred of evidence\u201d that Arpaio had intentionally defied the judge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Bolton dismissed the defense\u2019s attempt to muddy the water. She found that Snow\u2019s order was, in fact, \u201cclear and definite\u201d and that \u201cthis conclusion does not require looking beyond the plain words of the order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">She added that delegating the order to Arpaio\u2019s subordinates was no excuse for the violation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cWillful ignorance of a court order which a person has knowledge of and a duty to fulfill does not excuse non-compliance therewith,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><span class=\"exclude-from-newsgate\"><em>(Story continues below)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxza7c5M\" class=\"story-asset oembed-asset\">\n<div class=\"story-oembed-wrap \">\n<div class=\"js-oembed story-oembed story-oembed-azcentral story-oembed-type-rich\" data-oembed-type=\"rich\" data-oembed-provider=\"azcentral\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/drive.google.com\/viewerng\/viewer?url=http%3A\/\/archive.azcentral.com\/persistent\/icimages\/news\/arpaio%2520contempt%2520decision.pdf&amp;embedded=true\" width=\"600\" height=\"780\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"presto-h2\">Communities split<\/h2>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzacyJo\" class=\"story-asset video-asset\">\n<div class=\"ui-video-wrapper \">\n<div class=\"js-ui-video-init ui-pluto-video js-video-aps js-ui-pluto-video story-video inline-story-video smallarticleinlinehtml5 pluto-video-ready\" data-video-id=\"104182968\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ui-video-controls story-video inline-story-video\">\n<p class=\"video-desc\">Immigrant-rights group Puente Human Rights Movement praises a federal judge&#8217;s ruling finding Sheriff Joe Arpaio guilty of criminal contempt of court. Sam Caravana\/azcentral.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Reactions among Arpaio\u2019s friends and foes split predictably after the verdict was released.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxza7578\" class=\"story-asset pullquote-asset\">\n<aside class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote-item\">\u201cThere was a time when Arpaio ran around the county like he owned the place. It&#8217;s a final reminder to Arpaio that he&#8217;s not above the law and never was.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Civil-rights advocates saw the decision as a long-awaited comeuppance. Arpaio\u2019s supporters panned the outcome as political assassination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThis is kind of the final nail in the coffin,\u201d said Cecillia Wang, a deputy legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union and plaintiffs\u2019 attorney for the civil end of the case. \u201cThere was a time when Arpaio ran around the county like he owned the place. It\u2019s a final reminder to Arpaio that he\u2019s not above the law and never was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The news of the guilty ruling left Viridiana Hernandez with mixed emotions \u2014 among them surprise, relief and gratitude.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The west Phoenix community leader said her father\u2019s workplace was raided by the Sheriff&#8217;s Office in 2014\u00a0and, while he wasn\u2019t arrested, the family feared his address and other personal information was collected by deputies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Hernandez said her family was \u201ctraumatized\u201d by the former sheriff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Hernandez, who was a board member of the Bazta Arpaio campaign organized against the sheriff\u2019s re-election bid, said the community groups that challenged Arpaio\u2019s policies must continue to push back against his legacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThis man created this culture, not only within MCSO, but also in local police departments. And it\u2019s still a fight that we have to continue to fight, but this is a good win,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzalRv4\" class=\"story-asset pullquote-asset\">\n<aside class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote-item\">\u201cTrue justice will be served when Sheriff Penzone ends all collaboration with ICE and finally breaks with the legacy of Sheriff Arpaio.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In a statement, immigrant-rights group Puente Human Rights Movement called the guilty ruling \u201chistoric.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Carlos Garcia, director of Puente, called on Sheriff Paul Penzone to undo a vestige of Arpaio\u2019s 23-year tenure: the presence of ICE agents who screen people during the booking process at the Fourth Avenue Jail for those arrested countywide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cAs long as ICE is in the jails, Arpaio is still in control,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cTrue justice will be served when Sheriff Penzone ends all collaboration with ICE and finally breaks with the legacy of Sheriff Arpaio.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The group later held a press conference where about 30 people gathered and several spoke to offer similar reactions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Meanwhile, the National Center for Police Defense issued a statement calling the verdict a \u201ctravesty of justice.\u201d James Fotis, the center&#8217;s president, told\u00a0<em>The Arizona Republic\u00a0<\/em>earlier this year that the organization had donated about $300,000 to Arpaio\u2019s legal defense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cAs I sat in the courtroom and listened to Sheriff Joe Arpaio\u2019s trial, I knew any reasonable man or woman who was there to pass judgment on this honest, law abiding man who gave his life to the rule of law could never find him guilty on the evidence presented,\u201d Fotis said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cJudge Bolton\u2019s ruling has caused me to lose my faith in the court system and the federal judicial system. Had Sheriff Joe been judged by a jury of his peers, no reasonable man or woman could have possibly found America&#8217;s Toughest Sheriff guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Jerry Sheridan, Arpaio&#8217;s former chief deputy, said he was saddened by the verdict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;The Sheriff Joe I know and worked with is an honest, law-abiding lawman,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I never witnessed one unethical action on his part in all of the years I worked alongside him. He did not deliberately violate any court order, and now, for a judge to find him guilty of this is a tragedy. In fact, no MCSO personnel intentionally violated the judge\u2019s order.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"presto-h2\">Arpaio in Maricopa County Jail?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzbBUHs\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/b2aaf6235ef5c6e80e43bf0d8e8b53b649234fce\/c=128-0-1873-1312&amp;r=x408&amp;c=540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371368348153872-4883131.JPG\" alt=\"Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio talks to\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371368348153872-4883131.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/25b0f32bbf388f523e4fcf57de51132befc68e23\/r=500x328\/local\/-\/media\/2017\/07\/31\/Phoenix\/Phoenix\/636371368348153872-4883131.JPG\" \/><\/p>\n<h5>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio talks to inmates in Tent City in 2002.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Michael Chow\/The Republic)<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Though many on social media mused about a sentence in what were once his own jails, that scenario seems improbable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Should Arpaio be sentenced to incarceration, U.S. marshals in Arizona would be responsible for arresting him and placing him in custody.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-QJnXxzbPa-4\" class=\"story-asset pullquote-asset\">\n<aside class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p class=\"pull-quote-item\">\u201cI&#8217;d say the likelihood of Sheriff Arpaio spending six months in jail are slim to none.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cTraditionally, short-term sentence prisoners who are not going to be part of the Bureau of Prison systems are handled individually by the U.S. Marshals Office,\u201d said U.S. Marshal David Gonzales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Gonzales said the marshals contract with several local and private facilities, and that typically a short-term federal prisoner isn&#8217;t housed in Maricopa County jails.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Although Arpaio officially faces as many as six months of incarceration, many legal experts say even that\u00a0is unlikely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cI\u2019d say the likelihood of Sheriff Arpaio spending six months in jail are slim to none,\u201d said Paul Charlton, former U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona. The tougher question, Charlton said, is whether Arpaio will get any jail time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThe arguments on both sides are compelling,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the one hand, you have a significant number of lives altered and destroyed because of Joe Arpaio\u2019s misconduct.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">&#8220;On the other hand, you have an aging octogenarian who has otherwise lived a life without any criminal conviction, and served his whole career in law enforcement. That makes it very difficult for a judge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><em>Republic reporter Laura G\u00f3mez contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/local\/phoenix\/2017\/07\/31\/maricopa-county-sheriff-joe-arpaio-found-guilty-criminal-contempt-court\/486278001\/\">http:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/local\/phoenix\/2017\/07\/31\/maricopa-county-sheriff-joe-arpaio-found-guilty-criminal-contempt-court\/486278001\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ruled guilty of criminal contempt Megan Cassidy, The Republic | azcentral.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80867\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}