PHOENIX – In a ruling from federal court Judge Murray Snow, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and three of his deputies have been held in civil contempt.
The 162-page ruling stems from the sheriff’s long-running racial profiling case. It reads, in part:
“In short, the Court finds that the Defendants have engaged in multiple acts of misconduct, dishonesty, and bad faith with respect to the Plaintiff class and the protection of its rights. They have demonstrated a persistent disregard for the orders of this Court, as well as an intention to violate and manipulate the laws and policies regulating their conduct as they pertain to their obligations to be fair, ‘equitable[,] and impartial’ with respect to the interests of the Plaintiff class.”
The ruling orders a hearing on next steps for May 31.
Read: Court Ruling
The decision Friday brings the lawman who calls himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff” and is known for cracking down on illegal immigration a step closer to a possible criminal contempt case that could expose him to fines and even jail time.
It marks one of the biggest defeats for Arpaio and is expected to lead to greater court oversight of his office.
Arpaio had already admitted to civil contempt of court at the start of the hearings, claiming the judge’s orders “slipped through the cracks.” The questions before Snow were the remedies for civil contempt and whether to refer Arpaio for criminal prosecution.
Taxpayers’ bill for the nine-year-old racial-profiling case could soar past $50 million this year, according to records provided by Maricopa County. As of mid-April, the county had spent:
-$10.3 million on attorney’s fees
-$5.6 million on non-attorney costs
-$26 million for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to comply with Snow’s original ruling in May 2013
Those numbers don’t include an additional $12 million in expenses budgeted for the current fiscal year.
The contempt finding stems from Judge Snow’s landmark ruling in May 2013 that Arpaio and MCSO deputies had violated the constitutional right of Latino drivers and passengers. Snow ordered Arpaio to end the practice and installed a court monitor to ensure Arpaio followed his orders.
One year ago, Snow ordered contempt hearings after receiving evidence that Arpaio and his top commanders had ignored the judge’s orders by:
-Continuing to allow deputies to enforce federal immigration law
-Not disclosing all required information before the racial-profiling trial
-Failing to follow oral orders
Right off the bat, Arpaio and top deputy Jerry Sheridan admitted to ignoring the orders on retraining his deputies, ending traffic stops and other remedies for racial profiling. Arpaio claimed they “slipped through the cracks.” He and Sheridan offered to settle the case by donating $100,000 to charity.