Thread: AZ- Arrest of Arpaio protester is called 'payback'

Arrest of Arpaio protester is called 'payback'

Suspect donated money to Arpaio's opponent in November election
13 commentsby Yvonne Wingett - Oct. 1, 2008 12:00 AM

A day after sheriff's deputies jailed political organizer Randy Parraz, a small group of attorneys, elected officials and faith leaders decried the arrest as political payback for speaking out against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

"This is about harassment, it's about intimidation," said Parraz, who moved to the Valley from California and has donated $50 to Sheriff Joe Arpaio's political opponent Dan Saban. "Sheriff Arpaio, he's the one that's guilty of stepping beyond the line."

In a phone interview Tuesday, Arpaio shrugged off the criticism, called Parraz a political showman and said the deputies followed protocol: "My deputies did the right thing. They're (the protesters) the ones escalating this thing."
The incident marked at least the second time during the past year that an activist has been arrested in Phoenix by sheriff's deputies. In November, sheriff's deputies arrested Daniel Pochoda, legal director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona in Arizona, for suspicion of trespassing at an immigration rally near a Phoenix furniture store. He was found not guilty of criminal trespassing after a Justice Court trial that lasted about half a day.

Over the summer, Parraz has helped lead scripted shows at Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meetings. His goal and that of the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability has been to try to pressure the board to monitor more closely the sheriff's immigration policies and response times as well as lawsuits that involve the Sheriff's Office. The supervisors must approve the sheriff's budget, but because he is an elected official, they cannot tell him how to spend it.

MCSA members' behavior at the meetings has become so disruptive that board Chairman Andy Kunasek in a Sept. 26 letter asked sheriff's officials to "take the necessary steps to remove anyone who is being disruptive or anyone who is directing or inciting others to be disruptive from the meeting."

On Monday, Parraz and protesters took over the meeting by shouting and holding up anti-Arpaio signs. Parraz was kicked out of the board's chambers in downtown Phoenix and then stood outside of the chambers on county-owned property.

He was asked to leave by sheriff's deputies. He refused, saying he stood on public property. Deputies arrested him and booked him into county jail for violating a lawful order. Parraz was charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He spent about four hours in jail.

A condition of his release is that Parraz cannot return to the Board of Supervisors chambers. His attorneys are challenging the condition.

"What happened . . . at the Board of Supervisors only further underscores the lengths that Sheriff Joe is willing to go to suppress any dissent, to suppress any criticism of his policies," said Chad Snow, an attorney and MCSA member. Snow was also held by deputies, put in handcuffs for several minutes and was let go "when I demanded to know why I was being held. This shows this was just a potlically motivated arrest on Randy."

Parraz and other MCSA leaders have repeatedly demanded to present concerns at a board meeting and a chance to speak longer than the three-minute time limit. Other than Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, the supervisors have been reluctant to give MCSA a soapbox.

The board has heard about two hours and 39 minutes of testimony since April 9 from people who have identified themselves as MCSA members, according to a review of meeting minutes for The Republic by the county clerk's' office.


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... t1001.html

Love Sheriff Joe.!

It seems the sheriff was asked to oust the disrupters, right?

Also, if the limit for speaking is for 3 minutes and it applies to everyone - why should they be given more time?

The people like Parraz are freaking nut cases. Yes, Americans have the right to speak freely and engage freely in political activities. That does not give you the right to try and disrupt governmental meetings.

Parraz is lucky they did not arrest him when the chair ordered him out for being disruptive.

Sounds like they gave him every chance but Parraz pushed things and pushed things.

I hope they give Parraz his own tent in Joe's jail.

W

[b]A day after sheriff's deputies jailed political organizer Randy Parraz, a small group of attorneys, elected officials and faith leaders decried the arrest as political payback for speaking out against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

"This is about harassment, it's about intimidation," said Parraz, who



Ummmm, no.....it was about disorderly conduct.

The vid was all over the news yesterday out here and there is no doubt whatsoever as to what happened.

This guy was jumping in the faces of law enforcement who remained calm, despite his maniacal screaming and ranting, and he was asked repeatedly, by one individual, to quiet down and/or leave the premises because his conduct was out of control.

He continued and was arrested. End of story.