Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been found guilty of criminal contempt and faces up to 6 months in jail.
It’s not long enough. This guy has spent the past 30 years trampling the rule of law and abusing his position, but it’s a good start:
The immigration policies that elevated former Sheriff Joe Arpaio to fame were the same that would ultimately lead to his political demise and conviction of a federal crime.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton found Arpaio guilty of criminal contempt of court, finding that he willfully violated a federal judge’s order.
The sentencing phase will begin Oct. 5. Arpaio faces up to six months in confinement, a sentence equivalent to that of a misdemeanor.
Bolton’s ruling follows a five-day June and July trial, in which Department of Justice prosecutors argued that the 85-year-old had intentionally flouted a federal judge’s orders halting Arpaio’s signature immigration round-ups.
Honestly, his anti-Hispanic activities are really a small part of his wrongdoing.
He:
- Instigated criminal proceedings against a newspaper for investigating his real estate investments. (Millions in secret real estate deals on a salary less than $80K/year)
- attempted to intimidate a federal judge’s by criminally investigating his wife.
- Retaliation against critics, including local judges and county commissioners.
This is a deeply evil man, and he needs to spend the rest of natural life in prison.
Of course, the maximum sentence is only 6 months, but I think that some other rocks will be turned over in the interim.