AZ State Bar accused of serious ethical misconduct for obstructing illegal immigration enforcement
by Rachel Alexander


The Arizona State Bar is attempting to stop Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas from enforcing illegal immigration laws by investigating him. Top legal ethics experts, including a former State Bar President, former State Bar Chief legal counsel, former Attorney General, and former Chief Justice of the AZ Supreme Court, have found no merit to the investigations.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to investigate the Arizona State Bar Association for ethical misconduct involving thwarting illegal immigration enforcement. The State Bar began investigating Thomas and other prosecutors in the County Attorney’s Office after Thomas challenged the Maricopa County Superior Court for deliberately refusing to follow Prop. 100, a voter initiative that passed in 2006 with 78% approval prohibiting bail for illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes. When the Superior Court refused to comply, Thomas successfully got the state legislature and the Arizona Supreme Court to force them to. Angry that Thomas had taken on the courts and won, some retired judges lobbied the State Bar to “do somethingâ€