American Civil Liberties Union

Should a Cop Still Get Paid to "Retire" While the Family of a Man He Killed Gets Millions?

Last week, the Scottsdale City Council agreed to pay $4.25 million to the family of John Loxas, who was unarmed when Scottsdale Police Officer James Peters shot him in the head in February 2012, killing him instantly.Loxas was the sixth man killed by Peters, who has since retired from the police dep ... More >>

Jan Brewer's Bigoted Policy Denying Driver's Licenses to DREAMers in Federal Judge's Hands

Few public acts by Governor Jan Brewer have been so odious, so hateful and so obviously unfair as her executive order denying driver's licenses to those young men and women, brought here as children, who benefit from President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. See also: -Jan Brewer No ... More >>

Thomas Hawes Identified as Man Fatally Shot by Scottsdale Cops; Five Detectives on Leave

Scottsdale police have identified the man shot and killed this morning by officers as 45-year-old Thomas Hawes.As you could probably tell by the orange jumpsuit Hawes is wearing in the photo on the right, Hawes has a bit of a criminal history, including a short stint in prison.See also:-Scottsdale C ... More >>

Bill Montgomery Is No Immigration Moderate

Arizona's Top Ten News Stories of 2012

All in all, 2012 hasn't been that bad of a year. Some good stuff transpired, and some of it happened because New Times' scribes made it happen. Usually to some very deserving recipients. The great H.L. Mencken said it long ago, and it still holds true today: "Journalism is to politician as dog is t ... More >>

Rich Carmona 4.25 Points Down, Kyrsten Sinema Gains, and 524,633 Votes Left Statewide

As votes continue to be counted throughout Arizona, GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Jeff Flake's lead over Democrat Rich Carmona narrowed ever-so slightly, while in Maricopa County, Republican incumbent Joe Arpaio continued to dominate Democrat Paul Penzone in the sheriff's race. Both Carmona and Pen ... More >>

SB 1070's "Papers Please" Section Now in Effect

U.S. District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton has lifted the injunction on Senate Bill 1070's "papers please" provision, which allows cops to begin enforcing that section immediately.This move was pretty much expected, as Bolton signaled her intent to release the injunction a few weeks ago, as she noted ... More >>

Russell Pearce Thrown Under the Bus by SB 1070 Attorney John Bouma: The Transcript

See also: SB 1070 Slugfest: Will Judge Susan Bolton Block 1070's "Papers Please" Section? See also: SB 1070 Oral Arguments on "Papers Please" Section Scheduled for August 21See also: ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray o ... More >>

SB 1070 Oral Arguments on "Papers Please" Section Scheduled for August 21

See also: ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070 See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray of Hope See also: Russell Pearce's Falsehoods, Inaccuracies and Inventions on Channel 12's Sunday Square-Off See also: Russell Pearce Scores Another Win Against Hispanics, M ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Racial Profiling Rationalized by Lawyer Tim Casey in Closing Written Arguments

See also: Joe Arpaio Struggles in Racial-Profiling Trial to Answer Examples of Seemingly Bigoted LeadershipSee also: Joe Arpaio Looks Like Tired, Old Racist on Stand During Racial-Profiling TrialSee also: Joe Arpaio's Racial Profiling Trial Begins, and, Yes, He's Guilty as SinSee also: Joe Arpaio's ... More >>

ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070

See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray of HopeSee also: SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates OthersSee also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers As I anticipated in April, when it became clear that the U.S. Supreme Cou ... More >>

Obama's 287(g) Move Bogus, Activists Call on Feds to Cut Ties with Arizona

I'd have no problem with Governor Jan Brewer's whining like a stuck javelina about the Obama administration's jerking 287(g) agreements with Arizona, and promising to not pick up, or answer questions about every brown person 'Zona cops pull over. That is, if either her kvetching or the administratio ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Lawyer Tim Casey: His Firm Earns $735K So Far Defending Racial Profiling Lawsuit

Two weeks ago, I reported on a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow in the ACLU's big racial-profiling lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Melendres v. Arpaio. During that hearing, Snow scheduled the seven-day trial to begin on July 19.After the hearing, outside the Sandra Day O'C ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Racial Profiling Case: Summary Judgment Hearing Set for December 22

If there were Black Hole of Calcutta for bad sheriffs, is there any doubt that Joe Arpaio would be in it? Arpaio, the biggest un-indicted criminal in Arizona, is responsible for so much malfeasance, illegal activity and human misery, that his Teflon Don persona continues to amaze, even as the n ... More >>

Federal Judge to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office: DWB (Driving While Brown) Isn't Actually a Crime

fromtheleft.wordpress.com​Apparently it takes a federal judge to tell the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office that being Hispanic isn't actually illegal. More than two years after a Hispanic father-son combo was arrested by MCSO deputies near the site of one of their infamous worksite raids, a feder ... More >>

Jan Brewer to HOAs: Don't Tread on Residents' Tea Party Flags

Especially if you're an HOA.​If you're a Tea Partier, a fan of historic flags, or don't want to be treaded upon -- and you want the world to know -- but you happen to live in a neighborhood with a home owners association, fear not: Governor Jan Brewer to the rescue.On Monday, Brewer signed a bill ... More >>

The Soundtrack to Your Holiday Strip Scan

Sostadiumstatus.blogspot.comYou can see (ahem) a lot in a TSA scan.... including this gun!​Damn, TSA, buy a girl a drink first. The new full-body image scanners at airports this holiday season have already stressed and nervous travelers in a tizzy. Sure, nobody wants a bomb on their plane, but it ... More >>

Jan Brewer on Blast at United Nations Periodic Review by Arizona ACLU and Sal Reza

Reza in Geneva, where he's telling the world about human rights abuses in ArizonaI'm anticipating a silly press release from Governor Jan "We Have Did" Brewer's camp tomorrow condemning the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the United Nations, as well as the New World Or ... More >>

Homeowner Association Won't Budge in Laveen Flap Over Gadsden Flag

Andy McDonel of Laveen, seen here in his Fox News debut yesterday, has been told by his HOA to stop flying the Gadsden flag​If you don't like rules, you shouldn't have moved in. That's the message, roughly speaking, from a Laveen homeowner's association in regards to its ban on the h ... More >>

Get Out!: Arizona and America Join Joe Arpaio in Rushing to Inquire: Are Your Papers in Order?

SB 1070 on Hold: Judge Susan Bolton Strikes Down Heart of Arizona Law

Judge Bolton, slicing up SB 1070 like a hunk of beef.Although district court Judge Susan R. Bolton did not enjoin SB 1070 in its entirety this morning, she cut the heart out of Arizona's discriminatory "papers, please" legislation, leaving its zombie-like corpse bloodied but still standing.In her or ... More >>

SB 1070 Civil Disobedience, Arrests: The Dennis Gilman Video

Gilman's latest on yesterday's arrestsAs I was locked in SB 1070 legal hell Thursday, eyeballing the two proceedings in front of U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, I missed a lot of the action outside the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix where the hearings were taking place.While legal ... More >>

May 17 In Blogs: Phil Jackson, Dio, Kanpai Sushi, and Miss Oklahoma

​​​​​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Phil Jackson's Asinine, Nativist Remarks About Los Suns and SB 1070 A ... More >>

April 28 In Blogs: Linda Ronstadt, Merle Haggard, Salsa, and iPhones

​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Feathered Bastard: Linda Ronstadt Returns, Joe Arpaio Hunts Hispanics, and ACLU Announces Plans to Sue O ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Police State Bill on the Today's COW Calendar, Will Sanity Prevail in Sand Land?

Do you want to live in Russell Pearce's police state?Will we live in state Senator Russell Pearce's dream police state, or will we live in the United States of America?That's the issue at hand this afternoon as Pearce's SB 1070/HB 2632 goes to the House Committee of the Whole for debate. The bi ... More >>

He Never Flinched: A U.S. Citizen Was Detained by the MCSO and Then Testified Before Congress About His Being Racially Profiled

ACLU and Julio and Julian Mora Sue Joe Arpaio, Arpaio Whines on Twitter

Julio Mora with his father Julian at the Arizona ACLU offices today, announcing their lawsuit against Arpaio​As I anticipated in yesterday's blog post, the Arizona ACLU today had a press conference at their offices with father-son Julian and Julio Mora present, announcing a lawsuit on their ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Lawyers Subpoenaed E-Mails Between Judge Mary Murguia and Sister

Was Judge Murguia intimated by  subpoenas to her sister? Apparently, not even a federal judge and her family are free from the intimidation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his law dogs. I've now learned that Judge Mary Murguia's July 15 order recusing herself in the big Mele ... More >>

ACLU Slams Joe Arpaio Over Jail Lockdown, and Channel 3's Marissa Wingate Digs Joe's Slop

The Arizona ACLU says what Joe's doing in his jails is unconstitutional. Hardly a first there. Today the Arizona ACLU blasted Sheriff Joe Arpaio for locking down his jail facilities in response to a massive hunger strike inspired by the liquefied slop the MCSO feeds inmates on a dail ... More >>

Private School Vouchers for Disabled Kids Struck Down by State Supreme Court

  Public schools send some disabled kids to private schools -- but parents can't do the same thing with state money, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled today. The state's high court struck down two voucher programs that intended to give a combined $5 million in taxpayer funds t ... More >>

Anti-Joe Arpaio Action Scheduled for This February 28 in Phoenix

Time to get pissed by this clown, and to march... Looks like February will be going out like a lion, with a massive anti-Joe protest scheduled for the 28th demanding the termination of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 287(g) agreement. Some 70 activist groups will march by the Arizona ICE office, the Well ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Goes Medieval, While Barack Obama's America is a Million Miles Away

Welcome to the 14th century... We live in two Americas: Joe Arpaio's medieval Maricopa County, where barbarism reigns, and our corrupt top cop parades hundreds of Hispanics through the streets in chains, like captives taken in some feudal conflict from faded memory. And then there's Barack Oba ... More >>

Hart v. Arpaio civil rights class-action suit awaits verdict

Hot Links: Obama Camp Opens Arizona HQ, Al Franken Wins in Minnesota, Sarah Palin's Sportscasting Stab, and More.

Dan Pochoda of ACLU Found Not Guilty of Trespassing; Third High-Profile Loss For Prosecutor Lisa Aubuchon

Judge Neil Wake takes action in the jail conditions lawsuit against Arpaio

AZ ACLU honors New Times founders Jim Larkin and Mike Lacey as Civil Libertarians of the Year.

Letters from the issue of Thursday, March 27, 2008

Why Robert Robb's a fatuous fat-head, and Roger Sensing's no angel.

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, November 15, 2007

ACLU legal director Dan Pochoda popped by Sheriff's deputies; Pochoda says there was, "No reason for arrest."

Not So Slick, Rick

Congressman Renzi's big land-swap fibs are finally catching up to him

BEST CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles

A Big Brain on Bad Sex

Teenage go-getter takes law into his own hands

A Privates Matter

Did a teacher at Estrella Mountain Community College lose her job over what's under her skirt?

Pols Posturing for Promotions

Who's angling for what, and against whom

I of the Needle

The Prying Game

ARE THESE FOLKS REALLY A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY?

THE STADIUM INDEX

AN ESTIMATED $250 MILLION IN TAXES WILL HELP BUILD A DOMED STADIUM. HERE'S WHAT ELSE IT COULD PAY FOR.