AZ does have its good points, though. Some things that go on in the neighboring state of NM, make some things they do in AZ pale in comparison.

Ah, yes. I remember the good old days, when, as a teen, growing up in PA and a local police officer in an Eastern PA city was kicked out of the police force for making an illegal wiretap. That was in the early 1970′s. My, have times changed.

“While traipsing around the ABA site though I did find this:”

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/deputy_who_took_lawyers_paperwork_ordered_to_jail/
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“A deputy sheriff’s officer in Maricopa County must report to jail today or a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest.”

See http:www.familylawcourts.com/badcop.html

“the Governor will certainly enforce an order the sheriff ignores.”
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Ah, but you do not know of Arizona’s prayin’ Republican ‘Governess’. She halts her deliberations with staff to pray with them for guidance and the State’s budget is still in shambles. Gawd will whisper in her ear that Arpaio is a patron saint and not the villain Sheriff of Nottingham ‘robbin’ the hood’.

“It looks like we are in such deep doodoo that we really have to ask, “If the judge orders the deputy to jail, who has the guns to take him there?”

**************

Don’t worry this is all bluster preparing the way for some face-saving compromise. The high sheriff knows that the state police don’t care a wit about his jurisdiction and the Governor will certainly enforce an order the sheriff ignores. the only wild card is that this judge looks more like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm that John Sirica, but no matter, justice always gets her day–just sometimes delayed.

7: Arpaio routinely abuses his authority for personal, political, and vindictive reasons.

Two Republicans and an Independent running against Arpaio have all alleged abuses of power on the part of Sheriff Arpaio. In 2002, the county settled a lawsuit out of court with former employee Steve Barnes for wrongful termination after he blew the whistle on questionable tactics by the sheriff’s office.

Barnes claimed that Arpaio’s office wiretapped former Arpaio aide Tom Bearup and that it had targeted County Attorney Rick Romley for surveillance. Bearup, W. Steven Martin and Dan Saban, all running for sheriff against Arpaio this year, have also reported that they have been followed and harassed by sheriff’s deputies.

http://www.arpaio.com/

If we’re really lucky, he’ll do something stupid and violate a state or federal law.

Also, just as impeaching and removing W would have given us “President Cheney,” be careful what you wish for in replacing this guy – this is a part of Arizona that has re-elected him several times…

“Government” isn’t out of control; society is. And someone has to at least attempt to keep the peace. And if you think we live in a Fascist State now, you’d better hope the turbo-Christian neo-Cons don’t get back into power anytime soon.

We don’t agree on everything, but I couldn’t agree more with your post above.

Here is the link the story on the child who was Tasered:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/11/19/20091119TaseredGirl19-ON.html

There is something very bad going on here, government is buck ass out of control and these are symptoms of the larger problem. The county in which I live is wildly out of control and over reaching in their understanding of government power.

The county in which I live, in my opinion, is nothing more than a Fascist State. I cannot cut down more than a couple of trees without “permission” from the county Arborist nor can I build a large storage shed without first having to comply with multiple local and state ordinances. Only one of which is zoning, the other are environmental requirements which only add to the cost but do nothing other than make some government cracker feel good about saving the environment.

The Chesapeake Bay, which all of these regulations are meant to protect, is in worse shape than it was. The reason, the government crackers exempted the farmers from compliance. So the home owner is paying an additional $10,000 to $20,000 to comply with regulations that are doing nothing.

Are we simpletons to let this crap keep going on?

Yes, the County Sheriff’s position is an elected one. Arpaio has been seemingly entrenched for several years. His most recent re-election (Nov ’08) was the closest yet.

As I said earlier, he’s becoming quite a tiresome annoyance. He’s pissed off some of the smaller towns in the county for lack of cooperation, subjected American citizens to drive up on-the-street demands for their (citizenship) “papers.” He was recently stripped of his special privleges (granted by the Bushies) to enforce federal immigration laws by former AZ Gov. and now Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. In short, he’s a thug with a badge and a throwback of all that America has tried to change about over zealous law enforcement.

But what is the law on this? Is there any law on this? The defendant and the lawyer looked right at him and the judge must have seen what he was doing, why didn’t they tell him to stop?

Why wouldn’t he have just waited until the lawyer was finished and then asked her about it, if he thought there was a threat?

What bothers me the most is that the deputies seemed to have no boundaries and were very comfortable doing what they did. Even if the guy is a criminal he has a right to privacy.

If this is an indication of how private property is dealt with in Sheriff Joe’s domain, I agree it is time for him to go and possibly to a secure retirement funded by the state correctional board.

Intelligent cat you have there.

AY:

It usually is, but I’m partial to 8675309.

I wonder if his number would be 2469?

Good show. Even the cat snickered.

By noon.

Specifically the kind of agents not known for having much humor about rogue cops.

If there was a poster child for abusive cops who need to be stripped of their badge and prohibited from working in law enforcement in any capacity? It’s Arpaio.

He’s is simultaneously a threat to liberty and the rule of law as well as a joke of a man. If he didn’t have a badge, he’d be dismissed as a crank and an ignorant redneck. Openly encouraging officers to act in not just an unconstitutional manner, but to do so DEFIANTLY? He should be under arrest himself.

NOW.

Couldn’t agree more. I live in Maricopa County, AZ. Arpaio has worn out his welcome even among some of his usual fans of gun-toters, anti-Hispanic bigots and Neo-Nazi militiamen. Well, maybe not the latter. They probably still love him.