In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Sheriff Arpaio Under Investigation By U.S. Justice Department

Cara

Almost a week ago, I shared a petition that demanded an investigation in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s reign of terror in Maricopa County, Arizona.  I am now both absolutely thrilled and admittedly really shocked to share the news that an investigation is now underway!

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil-rights investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office after months of mounting complaints that deputies are discriminating in their enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Officials from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division notified Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Tuesday that they had begun the investigation, which will focus on whether deputies are engaging in “patterns or practices of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures.”

An expert said it is the department’s first civil-rights probe related to immigration enforcement.

I’d actually argue that this is only the tip of the iceberg of what Arpaio needs to be investigated for, but the news is excellent nonetheless.  Here’s to hoping that this is a legitimate investigation, which will end in some real results — preferably, Arpaio’s removal or retirement from his position.

h/t Veronica’s Twitter

12 thoughts on Sheriff Arpaio Under Investigation By U.S. Justice Department

  1. I am absolutely thrilled to learn that they are finally going to hold that asshole accountable for his crimes. When I wrote about the petition after reading it here the amount of people that showed up on my little blog to defend him astounded me. Clearly once someone gets convicted of a crime we have no problem writing them off or deciding that they don’t deserve basic human rights. Thank goodness there are still some rationale thinking people in this world who still believe that all people matter.

  2. Here’s to hoping that this is a legitimate investigation, which will end in some real results — preferably, Arpaio’s removal or retirement from his position.

    removal or retirement?

    people have *died* from the horrible conditions that he imposes on them.

    what he needs is to be charged with first-degree murder and hate crimes and imprisoned for life.

  3. Because he’s an elected official who remains very popular in Maricopa County, it will need to be something much worse than a public shaming to get rid of him.

    Still, I’m glad they’re actually investigating.

  5. removal or retirement?

    people have *died* from the horrible conditions that he imposes on them.

    what he needs is to be charged with first-degree murder and hate crimes and imprisoned for life.

    Okay, you’re right. “Preferably” was definitley the wrong word. I’d love to see him in jail, as I said in the previous post. But as inadvertantely came out here, I just don’t really expect to see it happen. I rarely expect people who actually deserve to be in jail to end up there, especially if their crimes are committed in the course of doing their job.

    So what I should have said was “preferably, within the confines of what I have come to expect from our government and judicial system when it comes to reprimanding those guilty of extreme abuses of power.”

  8. If it’s a “patterns and practices” investigation which is allowable under legislation passed during the Clinton era (and I think it’s the Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Accountability Act or something similar), then this investigation is entirely civil. But like all civil probes by the Justice Department, if criminal conduct emerges, then a criminal investigation can then be initiated and carried out to its conclusion. What would come out of this investigation would be civil litigation and/or a settlement called a federal consent decree which is filed in U.S. District Court in the region of jurisdiction and assigned to a federal judge who will oversee it over a set period, usually five years (though it can be extended as it was in Pittsburgh and L.A). where a list of reforms will have to be carried out.

    The investigation itself which often is a joint DOJ Civil Rights/U.S. Attorney’s effort might take up to two years to complete. They gather evidence and records including those guarded by confidentiality laws and do interviews, often of non-LE people. Been there, done that.

    Some other LE agencies have or currently have similar decrees in place including the LAPD, Cincinnati (which just recently ended), New Orleans Police Department and the very first agency, Pittsburgh Police Department. As the article states, this is the first one addressing immigration enforcement violations. But given the increased “partnerships” between ICE/Border Patrol and local LE agencies, there might be more similar cases down the line.

    The important thing here is to keep pressure, pressure, pressure on the feds to keep investigating. It’s not too difficult (relatively speaking) to get them to start an investigation but to get them to continue? It can be and despite what they say publicly (and their employees may agree privately), pressure from the public does matter.

    Besides the feds are also LE and all LE shares a really big bed, which is another reason why pressure is needed.

  9. Okay, you’re right. “Preferably” was definitley the wrong word. I’d love to see him in jail, as I said in the previous post. But as inadvertantely came out here, I just don’t really expect to see it happen. I rarely expect people who actually deserve to be in jail to end up there, especially if their crimes are committed in the course of doing their job.

    So what I should have said was “preferably, within the confines of what I have come to expect from our government and judicial system when it comes to reprimanding those guilty of extreme abuses of power.”

    I agree that it’s not likely he will ever see the inside of a prison cell. But a federal consent decree/investigation could end his career though the fact that he’s elected, not appointed by a legislative body or direct employee of such a body makes it more difficult to remove him especially since he’s popular with the voting crowd. If a consent decree is imposed, the chief or sheriff in place still does the administration but is expected to follow the program and often a monitor or team of monitors is hired to ensure that the reforms are carried out (and they report regularly to the investigative agency). So if the feds are doing their job, it will be harder for him to be abusive even if he remains in place.

  10. Pingback: Oh, hell YEAH! « Transitionland

  12. The Justice Department’s been busy lately. It launched a “pattern and practice investigation into the Inglewood (CA) Police Department.

    Overdue but with a Democratic administration, finally here.

    Too bad our shiny new Democratic administration’s justice department hasn’t seen fit to do the same thing where it came from.

Comments are currently closed.