Thread: Feds visit Maricopa County jails in bias probe

Feds visit Maricopa County jails in bias probe

by JJ Hensley - Nov. 12, 2010 10:15 PM
The Arizona Republic

U.S. Justice Department attorneys toured Maricopa County jails this week as part of the federal government's ongoing investigation into allegations that Sheriff Joe Arpaio's agency discriminates against inmates based on race.

The visit marked the first time Arpaio's agency has cooperated with the Justice Department's civil-rights investigation since the federal government in September filed suit against Maricopa County and the Sheriff's Office because of the sheriff's refusal to cooperate with the investigation, which stretched back to the summer of 2009.

The sheriff's shifting approach was based on a change in attorneys and administrators within the Sheriff's Office, and new personnel working on behalf of the Justice Department, said interim Maricopa County Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan.


"With new counsel, a new administration, some of the issues of mistrust are gone," Sheridan said. "You have new players all the way around, so I think you have people that are more willing to talk to each other."

Sheridan took over as interim chief deputy in mid-September after David Hendershott was placed on leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into mismanagement in the office. By mid-October, the sheriff's former attorneys, who worked closely with Hendershott, were replaced by a new team of lawyers.

The logjam that developed between Arpaio and the federal government stretches back more than a year. In 2009, sheriff's officials believed Justice Department investigators tried to use auditors from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to gather information on the Sheriff's Office.

Whether that was true or not, it ended the sheriff's cooperation with the federal investigation into accusations of discrimination, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and jail policies that could discriminate against people with limited English skills.

The federal government took the unprecedented step of suing Arpaio in September after discussions with the sheriff's attorney broke down. County officials were concerned that the lawsuit could threaten more than $100 million in federal funds the county receives every year.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment Friday on the status of the investigation or how the federal government viewed the sheriff's most recent effort to cooperate.

The civil-rights probe is unrelated to a separate abuse-of-power criminal investigation against the Sheriff's Office by the Justice Department, which is connected to long-running disputes with county government and the judiciary and has led to months of grand-jury testimony.

Sheriff's officials expect Justice Department attorneys and investigators to be in and out of Maricopa County for much of the next month.

This week, a team of three lawyers, two staff members and an interpreter toured Maricopa County jail facilities, looking for accessibility to information for non-English speakers. The team also received copies of sheriff's policies, procedures and manuals, Sheridan said.

In coming weeks, investigators are scheduled to conduct interviews with inmates, employees in the jails and members of the sheriff's command staff.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/ ... z158k5ob7c

"DON'T LET EM' GO, JOE!"

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's agency discriminates against inmates based on race

Oh and what race could that be...gee Kick me in the butt could it be...

Good god time to shut them up and time for them do the job of helping Sheriff Joe..The illegals have to many people on their side..Let the man be and let him do his job.That is what the real Americans want .Stop wasting his time and Our time go after that race you keep protecting that are slowly killing us in every way..!

There needs to be legislation that clarifies for the US DOJ that speaking a foreign language is not a "race" and Americans are under no responsibility whatsoever to speak in any capacity in a foreign language in our country.