I am Willing To Believe No One is Clean
A blog that specializes in criticizing the Phoenix police argues that Judge Gary Donahoe, recent target of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, has a bad record of aiding and abetting overly-easy search warrants. I am willing to believe that -- I think about every judge in the nation is too close to police and prosecutors on search warrant issues. But I don't think this is why Sheriff Joe is after him. Sheriff Joe likes to make the wrong-address no-knock raid as much as anyone, and protection of civil rights has never been in Arpaio's top 100 or so concerns. So Danahoe may have issues, but I Sheriff Joe's charges against him are likely pure power play.
paul dannaldson:
wtf at least he is willing todo something . i dont belive in over reaching police powers and they should be a lot more carefull in makeing sure they have the right home. but you elect him and if you dontlike him replace him
December 15, 2009, 8:10 ammahtso:
I think you are confused: the County Attorney, not the Sheriff, filed the charges. Whether or not it was a power play, I have no idea. But the Az Republic had a columnist report that the county Judges have been blocking an investigation into corruption related to the new court building and that in the last year the County has paid 2 lawyers over $1 million to attend meetings and review documents related to the building.
If the Sheriff is violating the law, I hope he gets what is coming. But, it seems to me that the "investigative" journalists are so intent on proofing the Sheriff wrong that they have (largely) ignored the potential corruption at the County Board, and if I am to believe the Republic, at the courts. (The Az Republic had an editoral saying (in essence) the charges against the County Supervisors should be dropped because these crimes are rarely prosecuted.)
December 15, 2009, 11:48 am