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Controversial Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Found Guilty Of Criminal Contempt

Published on: July 31, 2017 at 5:39 PM
By Patricia Ramirez

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton reached a decision in the criminal contempt case of controversial former Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Monday, July 31. The disgraced ex-lawman was found guilty of violating a judge’s lawful 2011 court order to cease traffic patrols that profiled and targeted Hispanic immigrants during his tenure sheriff.

After that order was handed down, Fox News reports that former Sheriff Joe Arpaio continued his unlawful patrols targeting immigrants for a full 17 additional months, leading to misdemeanor contempt of court charges. The 85-year-old former Arizona sheriff was accused of willfully defying the judge’s order as he continued to target the Hispanic immigrant community within his jurisdiction.

Now that he’s been found guilty, Joe Arpaio faces up to six months in jail when he’s sentenced on October 5. Many legal experts argue, however, that it is unlikely the octogenarian will spend any time behind bars for his crime. During his stint as sheriff, Joe Arpaio rose to fame and notoriety for forcing his predominantly Hispanic inmates to do their time in a “tent city prison” that has been likened to a “concentration camp.” Reportedly, inmates at Arpaio’s jail were forced to suffer through the up to 120 degree Phoenix summer heat with no relief, a problem that continues in Maricopa County even now that Arpaio is no longer at the helm.

Joe Arpaio lost his re-election bid in 2016 and has since been replaced by virtually unknown retired Phoenix police Sgt. Paul Penzone. Since Penzone took over, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has announced that tent city prison, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s pride and joy, is in the midst of being dismantled and should be completely closed within six months. What’s more, the office has announced that most current inmates are only at the facility at night, avoiding the worst of this summer’s extreme Arizona heat.

“As of today, there are 380 work furlough inmates remaining in Tent City. Work furlough means they go to their day jobs and return at the end of their workday to sleep in the Tents. Almost all of these inmates are in Tent City only at night. We estimate that approximately 50 of the 380 will be on site in the daytime – meaning that they work either a second or third shift at their job.”

Over the course of his trial, attorneys for Joe Arpaio argued that the ex-sheriff didn’t break the law or violate the 2011 court order intentionally. Rather, they claimed that Arpaio only continued his unlawful patrols because his legal team had failed to properly and fully explain the 2011 order.

Prosecutors in the criminal contempt case argued that the controversial former Arizona sheriff knew precisely what he was doing and willfully violated the court order to “boost his 2012 re-election campaign,” which he won by a wide margin.

“He wanted to raise money and win re-election, and it worked.”

While Joe Arpaio claimed just last week that he was “optimistic” about his chances of beating the criminal contempt charges levied against him, the judge in his bench trial ultimately sided with the prosecution.

Joe Arpaio spent 24 years as Maricopa County Sheriff, and during his tenure, he never strayed far from the controversy that would end up being his legacy. From his “tent city prison,” which was panned by human rights organizations for humiliating inmates by forcing them to wear pink underwear, Arpaio was a “love him or hate him” public figure for decades. Following his conviction, many critics and supporters alike took to social media to share their thoughts on the fate of controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Leading up to his trial last week, AZ Central reports that Arpaio and his legal team repeatedly fought for and were denied a jury trial rather than a bench trial in his criminal contempt case.

[Featured Image by Angie Wang/AP Images]

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