The Department of Justice in court versus Arpaio, infamous lawman

Arizona state continues to be the subject of controversy for a while. There continues to be no ruling on the SB1070 Arizona law, allowing officers to check immigration status of several the Obama administration is challenging as a result of constitutional grounds of the law Governor Jan Brewer decried. The Justice Department has decided to sue Sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, raging on the Grand Canyon State and government feud. An investigation was being conducted on civil rights abuse. The Department of Justice says Joe Arpaio didn’t cooperate in this. Article source – Infamous lawman Joe Arpaio taken to court by Justice Department by Newystype.com.

Joe Arpaio discriminating

Sheriff Arpaio was supposedly trying to “sweep” illegal immigrants by targeting only Hispanics which is why the investigation began. The Maricopa County Sheriff sends deputies into heavily Hispanic areas, where they will stop any person for minor reasons, according to the Los Angeles Times. At the point of detention, deputies will check the immigration status of suspects. Doing this was expected by everybody. It was even expected before The Grand Canyon State immigration law was in place. The Justice Department asked Sheriff Arpaio for documentation of these sweeps. He was unwilling to give it up. Allegedly, he denied federal investigators access to buildings and refused to hand over requested material.

Received many lawsuits

The Maricopa Sheriff has had lawsuits before. He has been sued numerous times by families of inmates who have passed away in his jail, the notorious Tent City, which is really literally a collection of tents in the desert surrounded by high fences with barbed wire at the top. There is also an ongoing investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office including Sheriff Arpaio by the grand jury. This is happening, reports ABC because of corruption. The Office got the request for materials and paperwork through a year ago. This originated from the Justice Department. Attorneys suing Arpaio’s department were designed to be able to get a hold of the documents that a federal judge found the Sheriff’s Office had destroyed.

Additional reading

ABC News

blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/justice-department-sues-arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio.html

LA Times

latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lawsuit-arpaio-20100903,,2874529.story