Sheriff Paul Penzone of Arizona's Maricopa County says he's stepping down a year early in January
Sheriff Paul Penzone of Arizona's Maricopa County says he is resigning in January after serving almost two terms.
Taxpayers will wind up paying over quarter billion dollars in Joe Arpaio's racial profiling case
The taxpayer bill for the racial profiling case stemming from former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaioโs immigration crackdowns will reach $273 million by the summer of 2024.
Arizona measure gives non-citizens in-state college tuition
Arizona voters have approved an initiative to extend cheaper in-state college tuition to some non-citizen students, cheering supporters who hope the measureโs passage Monday will spark momentum for wider immigration reform in Congress.
Joe Arpaio loses 3rd comeback bid in town mayoral race
Joe Arpaio, the 90-year-old former Arizona sheriff who was a once powerful figure in Republican politics, has been defeated in a race for mayor of the affluent suburb where he has lived for more than two decades.
![Arpaio legal tab hits $100M as taxpayers foot his last bills](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/qNXAgYCxwNUpEugs3L5nThq4ONY=/800x583/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4HFTURKY65EPXNBD3S53FBAVYY.jpg)
Arpaio legal tab hits $100M as taxpayers foot his last bills
Nearly five years after Joe Arpaio was voted out as sheriff of Arizonaโs most populous county, taxpayers have covered one of the last major bills from the thousands of lawsuits the lawmanโs headline-grabbing tactics inspired.
![Restaurateur whose business was raided by sheriff gets $5M](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/MnCpCKh4ERf_3YRiSF2szaGzcQI=/800x489/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TRXHFF2LPJACHNKSEEJ34VNBB4.jpg)
Restaurateur whose business was raided by sheriff gets $5M
Maricopa County officials approved a settlement with an Arizona restaurant owner who claimed then-Sheriff Joe Arpaioโs office had defamed him and violated his rights about seven years ago when investigating whether employees at his restaurants used fraudulent IDs to get jobs.
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Contempt hearing sought against Joe Arpaioโs successor
Civil rights lawyers are seeking a civil contempt of court hearing against Penzone for a backlog of 2,000 internal affairs investigations each taking an average of 500 days to complete. Itโs unclear what sort of penalties Penzone could face if the court agreed to hold a hearing and finds him in civil contempt. Transfers of employees in and out the internal affairs unit are now required to be approved by the monitor. And the sheriffโs office is required to investigate all complaints of officer misconduct, even those made anonymously. AdPenzone also has said the sheriffโs office, unlike other police agencies, doesnโt have the option of treating minor violations differently than serious misconduct.
![To court Latinos, Democrats have to expand strategy in 2022](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/NVDnYVfRiTUmgUEghXoIll8eEx4=/1600x996/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZKEGP4PWKJE7RGKNBDMDABQBDY.jpg)
To court Latinos, Democrats have to expand strategy in 2022
Latinos also now account for 24% of eligible voters in Arizona, compared with 19% in 2012, according to Pew Research Center. And how or whether Democrats can keep that enthusiasm in the 2022 midterm elections will require a lot of work. But itโs also incumbent on campaigns to prioritize Latino voters by spending time and money in their communities consistently, not just right before an election. โAnd thatโs something this administration hasnโt done.โTo sway Latino voters, she said Democrats need to take the tactics used in Arizona to other states. In Arizona, Democrats presented Trump as the boogeyman, getting voters to show up, while in south Florida, Republicans used socialism to drive voters to Trump, Shope said.
![Biden, Harris aim to tip battleground Arizona for Democrats](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/DxMcOGnGZ5hc7OuUXfOkr-xR2j8=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZUM2TVKEZBAVBN27QHMBTIPG6E.jpg)
Biden, Harris aim to tip battleground Arizona for Democrats
Harris introduced Biden by blasting Trumpโs โreckless disregard for human life and for the well-being of the American peopleโ when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. Arizonaโs transformation seems stark for a state that just a decade ago was the epicenter of Republicans' push against anti-illegal immigration push. To varying degrees, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico have all moved closer to Democrats since the turn of the century. Since 1952, a Democrat has won Arizona only once โ Bill Clinton in 1996, with about 46% of the vote. Biden will look to run up the score there and on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
![He set out to mobilize Latino voters. Then the virus hit.](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/3pSpCJnUQCk0SEOiDMpqGa-3360=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TR5HT7HYFBB45DRZ2OKF4PU7BQ.jpg)
He set out to mobilize Latino voters. Then the virus hit.
The virus and the economic fallout it triggered is crashing down on Latinos just as they hit an electoral milestone. But if states such as California, Florida and Nevada were the proving grounds in elections past, North Carolina represents the future. โIโm my sisterโs voice, my brotherโs voice, my parentsโ voice.โTrump won North Carolina by less than 4 percentage points. After they married, Hurtado and Garcia settled in Alamance County in one of the commuter suburbs outside of Chapel Hill. In Alamance County, where Latinos are 13% of the population, they account for 62% of the countyโs 2,500 COVID cases.
![AP Exclusive: 1,800-case internal affairs lag in Phoenix](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Lg9kPL6aXiRmYXB7bNIAGLyS7hY=/1000x1315/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WSTEZ4ZOZBEFFNORTUUWEOFNBY.jpg)
AP Exclusive: 1,800-case internal affairs lag in Phoenix
The overhaul stripped the agency of some its autonomy over internal affairs. Transfers of employees in and out the internal affairs unit are now required to be approved by the monitor. And the sheriffs office is required to investigate all complaints of officer misconduct, even those made anonymously. Currently, the sheriff's office has filled only one of 10 new internal investigator positions that were budgeted by the county. The internal affairs unit, which currently has 24 investigators, would need 90 investigators to make caseloads more manageable, plus additional supervisors and support staff, the sheriff's office said.
![He set out to mobilize Latino voters. Then the virus hit.](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/lipad4Re6eXZOlmn1qbck4DQoUA=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KSFLRLZJI5FYXK6PZKNHWVAYMM.jpg)
He set out to mobilize Latino voters. Then the virus hit.
The virus and the economic fallout it triggered is crashing down on Latinos just as they hit an electoral milestone. But if states such as California, Florida and Nevada were the proving grounds in elections past, North Carolina represents the future. Im my sisters voice, my brothers voice, my parents voice.Trump won North Carolina by less than 4 percentage points. After they married, Hurtado and Garcia settled in Alamance County in one of the commuter suburbs outside of Chapel Hill. In Alamance County, where Latinos are 13% of the population, they account for 62% of the countys 2,500 COVID cases.
![Joe Arpaio loses sheriffs race in 2nd failed comeback bid](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/q5_Gp6A1jXZq0SlkGRfuaSYFa0Q=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HUROUM62LFGVJL4WOEF5OSHD4I.jpg)
Joe Arpaio loses sheriffs race in 2nd failed comeback bid
Arpaio lost the Republican primary for Maricopa County sheriff to his former top aide, Jerry Sheridan. In the Nov. 3 general election, Sheridan will face Democrat Paul Penzone, who unseated Arpaio four years ago. In the profiling case, both Arpaio and Sheridan were found in civil contempt of court for disobeying a 2011 court order to stop the sheriffs immigration patrols, leading to Arpaios criminal contempt conviction in 2017. Sheridan wasnt charged with criminal contempt. Sheridan said he could help turn around the tarnished law enforcement agency and insisted that he is his own man.
![Joe Arpaio defeated in whats likely his last political race](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/dK_G1opkd-46F_SWIGjIKHNJjlE=/1600x1245/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AW2BIEGWFRDLLOCIX6CYBOLZDI.jpg)
Joe Arpaio defeated in whats likely his last political race
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2018, file photo, U.S. Senate candidate and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio rides on his campaign bus in Phoenix. Arpaio's primary defeat in his bid to win back the sheriff's post in metro Phoenix marks what's likely to be the 88-year-old's last political campaign. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)PHOENIX This political campaign was likely the last for Joe Arpaio, the former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix known for leading immigration crackdowns and building a political career around the harsh treatment of jail inmates. Critics say Arpaio created a culture of cruelty inside his jails that led to the deaths of several inmates. For much of his political career, Arpaio survived scandals and dodged investigations that would have sunk the careers of many politicians.
![Joe Arpaio clings to relevancy in whats likely his last run](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/21CJ1DQRd_cGwUtseJvF82OmhP4=/1600x963/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KMYUQAW25FGU7MMDUNQDKLGFKY.jpg)
Joe Arpaio clings to relevancy in whats likely his last run
He faces his former second-in-command, Jerry Sheridan, in the Aug. 4 Republican primary in what has become his second comeback bid. In what Arpaio acknowledges could be his last political race, he was trailing Jerry Sheridan, his former second-in-command, by 572 votes as the vote count continued Wednesday. Arpaio based much of his campaign around his support of President Donald Trump, who spared Arpaio a possible jail sentence when he pardoned his contempt of court conviction. He also pointed out that Arpaio has spent about $1 million in the race, compared to Sheridans $90,000. ONeil believes Arpaio and Sheridan would both get whooped by the more low-profile Penzone in the November general election.
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House Democrats to attempt to check Trump's pardon power
WASHINGTON House Democrats will try to rein in President Donald Trumps clemency powers on Thursday as they advance legislation that would discourage pardons for friends and family and prevent presidents from pardoning themselves. Trump this month commuted Stone's prison sentence for crimes related to the Russia investigation. The move to shield Stone from prison was a dramatic example of Trump's willingness to exert presidential power over criminal cases, including ones prosecuted by his own Justice Department. The House Judiciary Committee will vote on two bills and an amendment that would try to dissuade Trump or any future presidents from abusing their pardon powers. And he has granted clemency in a host of other controversial cases, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov.
![Trump commutes longtime friend Roger Stone's sentence](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/TulJGx4v5bDAF3SHxmE7rWKK768=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JQDUMJWS6FAX5HYR6ERMLCKB7Y.jpg)
Trump commutes longtime friend Roger Stone's sentence
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump called Roger Stone to inform his longtime political confidant that he would commute his sentence for crimes related to the Russia investigation, Stone told The Associated Press on Friday, just days before he was set to report to prison. The president told me he thought my trial has been unfair, Stone told the AP in a phone call from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A commutation would not erase Stones felony convictions in the same way a pardon would, but it would protect him from serving prison time as a result. Trump had repeatedly publicly inserted himself into Stones case, including just before Stones sentencing, when he suggested in a tweet that Stone was being subjected to a different standard than several prominent Democrats. Trump went on a clemency spree in February commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov.
![Trump commutes longtime friend Roger Stone's prison sentence](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/3DixGgBRnodh8QWwfBaawYprUtk=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SR66R6WZBVGUBH4XAPDTYNCGEA.jpg)
Trump commutes longtime friend Roger Stone's prison sentence
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of his longtime political confidant Roger Stone, intervening in extraordinary fashion in a criminal case that was central to the Russia investigation and that concerned the president's own conduct. Stone, 67, had been set to report to prison on Tuesday after a federal appeals court rejected his bid to postpone his surrender date. But he told The Associated Press that Trump called him Friday evening to tell him he was off the hook. With this commutation, Trump makes clear that there are two systems of justice in America: one for his criminal friends, and one for everyone else, Schiff said. Trump went on a clemency spree in February, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov.
![Arpaio announces bid for sheriff re-election after Trump pardon](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2018/01/10/Joe%20Arpaio%20US%20Senate.jpg_22204142_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Arpaio announces bid for sheriff re-election after Trump pardon
(CNN) - Former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio on Sunday announced he would seek another term as sheriff of Maricopa County, one year after President Donald Trump pardoned him. "After consultation and approval from my wife of 61 years, Ava, I have decided to run to be re-elected Sheriff," Arpaio said in a news release Sunday. Trump pardoned Arpaio in 2017 before he was sentenced for being in contempt of court for continuing to make immigration arrests after a court ordered him to stop. "Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the White House said in a statement after Arpaio's pardon. Paul Penzone, the current sheriff of Maricopa County who ousted Arpaio in 2016, is expected to run for re-election.