Thread: Maricopa County supervisors face fed civil-rights investigat

Maricopa County supervisors face federal civil-rights investigation
106 commentsby Michael Kiefer and Yvonne Wingett - Aug. 12, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has been under federal investigation since March for possible civil-rights violations that involve failing to provide interpreters at public meetings for persons of limited English proficiency.

The investigation came to light Tuesday when County Attorney Andrew Thomas published a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice offering cooperation and claiming that his office was only informed of the investigation last week, when county officials approached it for legal help.

County officials deny any sort of investigation cover-up and said they've been working with his office for some time.
The issue dates to December 2007, when a community activist named Silverio Garcia tried to address the board in Spanish at a public meeting. Garcia claimed that both Supervisors Andrew Kunasek and Max Wilson made remarks that he should speak English.

Garcia filed a complaint with the Department of Justice. Garcia also filed complaints against the Sheriff's Office, and the DOJ responded by saying it would investigate both agencies.

Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that no person should be discriminated against on the grounds of race or national origin under any program receiving federal aid, which would include county governments.

Most local governments in the Valley will make interpreters available to non-English-speakers on request. The county's letter to the DOJ says it intends to do the same.

But the complaints have been ongoing, especially in recent meetings that address the Sheriff's Office immigration policies. Speakers are allowed two minutes of time.

"People couldn't express themselves during public comment because they had to translate, and the chairman of the board didn't give extra time to do a translation," activist Raquel Terán said. "One minute of speaking in Spanish is another taken up translating in English. They (Spanish-speakers) don't get equal time during the public comment."

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said she believes the county must make Spanish-language interpreters more accessible during public meetings.

"You have to provide equal access, you have to come up with an interpreter should the need arise," she said. "We really need to come up with a remedy."

In Thomas' letter to the DOJ, he said that one of the supervisors had gone so far as to chastise someone for speaking Spanish and said county officials tried to cover up news of the investigation.

"Unfortunately, the board and its employees improperly withheld this letter, and the fact that the DOJ was investigating the board, from our office and from the public during the preceding five months, while at the same time delaying response to your requests for information," Thomas wrote.

Thomas also asked that the DOJ officials "broaden their probe beyond this civil-rights complaint to include a more general investigation of the board and county management."

Thomas is tangled in extensive litigation with the supervisors, among other things, over the board's creation of its own civil-litigation department.

The head of that department, Wade Swanson, however, said that his office has in fact been working with the County Attorney's Office and with the Department of Justice for months and has drafted an as-yet unsent response to the federal government, which informs the DOJ that Thomas' office will take over responsibility for the matter.

"This idea that this was somehow withheld is a lie, and this idea that it was somehow held from the public is a lie," Swanson said.

"It's demonstrably false that his office just became aware of it - he may have just become aware of it - but his office has been involved in it. They have been aware of this for months."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 1-onl.html

How is failing to provide an interpreter discrimination? He can speak his peace. He can deliver a written testimony and pay to have it translated. If he had any sense he would just go to a public library and use the AltaVista language program. No big deal. If no one understands him that is his problem. These laws were not meant to be carried to a logical extreme and there are accessible methods for most people to be understood. What is his standing to bring this lawsuit anyway? Lawsuit dismissed!

They are truely carrying this crap TOO FAR! That guy needs to learn ENGLISH!

OnLY in AMerica can some ILLEGAL ALIEN come in and sue someone because we do not CATER TO THEIR NEEDS! I say deport them all and do it now..........And for a note even if this guy is not an illegal why is it it is just Spanish speaking people that seem to want all the attention and the bowing to their needs????? WHY?? WHY??WHY??

It is simply taking advantage of a system that was not designed with their intents........TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A SYSTEM........

Let them go to their country and try it......

I failed to see where he was denied the opportunity to address the board based on race or national orgin!!!

You should not be allowed additional time because you refuse to speak English! He can address the board in spanish and the board can listen. It's not their responsibility to speak / understand spanish, nor provide a translator.

Most local governments in the Valley will make interpreters available to non-English-speakers on request. The county's letter to the DOJ says it intends to do the same.

This seems to suggest local governments are not obligated to provide a translator, but do so as a courtesy.

This is how insane this garbage has become in this country! This is what happens when you pander to these people! So much for living in the shadows!!

They are trying to pin ANYTHING on them!

This is nothing more than another frivolous allegation, which more than likely, is politically motivated!

Have Supervisors Andrew Kunasek and Max Wilson been vocal in their support of Sheriff Joe and his efforts to combat illegal immigration?

I can't believe that this much time, energy and money is being pursued over an incident staged by an "activist" three years ago just to set up the scenario to file the complaint in the first place...

Our federal government--under the guise (sick and tired of it), of "civil rights" has declared war on the citizens of the USA. We sometimes get angry with our local officials, but look what they have to fight.

The anger of good Americans on the one hand and the challenge of the Feds which may affect their jobs and their livelihood, on the other.