Anna Baca

The Feds Proved Themselves a Cage of Cowardly Lions in the Arpaio Investigation

Andrew Thomas' Ex-Special Prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik Appointed to Real Estate Board by Governor Jan Brewer

File this one under "outrage du jour": Dennis Wilenchik, the former special prosecutor whose runaway investigation of New Times resulted in the wrongful arrests of Village Voice Media Editor Michael Lacey and VVM CEO Jim Larkin, has been appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to sit on Arizona's Real Esta ... More >>

Barbara Mundell, Retired Judge, and Susan Schuerman (Supervisor Don Stapley's Secretary) Each Get $500,000 in Settlements From County

Barbara Mundell, the now-retired Maricopa Superior Court Judge targeted in an unethical investigation by county lawmen, received $500,000 from the county to settle a lawsuit.Susan Schuerman, the executive assistant for Supervisor Don Stapley, also received a $500,000 settlement, county officials con ... More >>

Maricopa County Officials File Amended Claims Against County and Sheriff Arpaio; Streamlined to Comply With Judge's Order

Current and former Maricopa County officials have filed new, streamlined complaints against the county and Sheriff Joe Arpaio to comply with a judge's order. Filing anew are: County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and her husband, Earl; County Supervisor Don Stapley; retired Superior Court Judges Barba ... More >>

Thomas Defends Shoddy Conspiracy Case; Struggles to Explain Why "Biased" Judge Ruled in His Favor

Andrew Thomas explains his thought processes behind his aggressive prosecutions of county officials.​Former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said in a disciplinary hearing against him today that he doesn't know why a judge he thought was "biased" made a major ruling in Thomas' favor.Thomas h ... More >>

New Times Will Appeal Ninth Circuit Court Decision on Its Lawsuit Against Joe Arpaio, Andrew Thomas, and Others

Munnell Memo Investigation Report by Pinal Sheriff Paul Babeu is Overdue

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is still working on the investigation into allegations raised in the "Munnell Memo."​ While chatting with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today about border issues, we asked about his months-long investigation into allegations by Maricopa County deputy chief Fra ... More >>

Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas' Bullying of County Officials Could Cost Taxpayers More Than $13 Million

America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff," Joe Arpaio.​The numbers have been tallied. If county officials get their way, lawsuits filed against Maricopa County over alleged wrongdoing by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas will cost taxpayers more than $13 million.Three ... More >>

David Smith, Maricopa County Manager, Gets No "Credit" for Not Suing County, Thomas Spokesman Says

  David Smith gets no "credit" from Andrew Thomas for deciding not to sue the county.​While Andrew Thomas won't stoop so low as to take our call, his debate-loving spokesman, Barnett Lotstein, nearly always calls us back. We just heard from him on our question, posed in an e ... More >>

Resolution Process Considered for Claims Related to Actions of Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas; Plan Involves Hiring Dispute Expert Kenneth Feinberg

  Photo: Wikipedia Dispute master Kenneth Feinberg may get the job of resolving millions in claims against Maricopa County by county officials.​The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors are expected to vote Wednesday on whether to hire dispute expert Kenneth Feinberg to handle claims a ... More >>

David Hendershott's Complaints Vs. Four Judges Dismissed by Judicial Conduct Commission

  ​The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct has dismissed all four complaints filed against local judges by David Hendershott, chief deputy under Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The commission "found no clear and convincing evidence of ethical misconduct" and voted to dismiss the c ... More >>

Lawyers Behaving Badly: Mark Briggs Ducks and Dennis Wilenchik Skates

Dennis Wilenchik Cleared of All Wrongdoing by AZ Bar -- No, Really

courtesy of the Arizona Republic Dennis Wilenchik, home free​Dennis Wilenchik, the one-time special prosecutor whose investigation into New Times led to the nighttime arrests of its top executives, has been cleared of all wrongdoing by the State Bar of Arizona.And, sadly, this isn't one of ... More >>

The Nooses Must Be Cut Down

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk provided the blade. Now it's up to AG Goddard and President Obama to use it

Joe Arpaio Gets (Minor) Victory -- Court Rejects Criminal Sanctions Against Chief Deputy

The court ruled against Sheriff Joe Arpaio in all but one minor issue.​It's not a homerun -- much less a grand slam.But considering how frequently Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas have been spanked by both the appellate and Superior courts lately, we suppose today's opini ... More >>

Arpaio Wants Wilcox's Attorney to Answer Questions Related to Racketeering Lawsuit; Lawyer Wants "Harassing" Action Stopped

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is giving Colin Campbell, Mary Rose Wilcox's attorney, until 5 p.m. today to voluntarily talk to a deputy about issues related to a supposed criminal conspiracy among county leaders. Image: Ray Stern Colin Campbell​Campbell, former presiding judge of th ... More >>

The Pink Negro: As an Ivy League Lawyer, is President Barack Obama Hard Enough to Confront the Evil Personified by Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

Arpaio's Chief Deputy Files Judicial Complaints Against Four Judges

​ An investigation should be launched against four retired and current Maricopa Superior Court judges who committed ethical breaches, Sheriff Joe Arpaio's chief deputy demands in letters to the Arizona Judicial Conduct Commission. The complaint letters by Dave Hendershott (left), dated ... More >>

Andrew Thomas Spanked By Appeals Court

  That was fast. Two days ago, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas fired off a Hail Mary to the Court of Appeals, complaining that superior court judges are biased against him and asking the higher court to intervene. Today a three-justice appellate panel dismissed Thomas' petition ... More >>

Stapley Case Bombshell: Indicted Supervisor Disclosed Wolfswinkel Partnership to County Attorney in 2006

  Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley faces 118 criminal counts for supposedly failing to disclose his land holdings to the public -- in particular, his association with convicted felon Conley Wolfswinkel. But according to an explosive new filing from Stapley's attorneys, Stapley ... More >>

Three-Time Loser Deputy County Attorney Screws Up, Again

We know it's very bad karma to laugh at people in over their heads, but when it comes to Deputy County Attorney Lisa Aubuchon, we just can't help ourselves. We have nothing against Aubuchon personally; it's just that County Attorney Andrew Thomas appointed her to run his pre-trial division -- and ... More >>

Don Stapley Case: Court Rejects Motion to Change Judge; Prosecutor Denied "Unusual Request" for Judge Interview

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge today rejected a bid by County Attorney Andrew Thomas to change a judge in the politically loaded criminal case of County Supervisor Don Stapley. Thomas (pictured) feels retired Judge Kenneth Fields, assigned to the Stapley case, is biased agai ... More >>

Scant Regard for a Free Press

Michael Lacey Slams Judge Bolton's Ruling

Blind trust: Don’t assume you’re seeing a doctor — even at the Mayo Clinic

County Attorney Andrew Thomas jeopardizes Serial Shooter case, claims Gerald Richard

The Bird digs up more dirt on Arpaio's henchmen soaking up the sun in Honduras

Disgraced ex-special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik's op-ed tripe in the Arizona Republic.

New Times files a prelude to a lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, County Attorney Andy Thomas and a discredited ex-special prosecutor on behalf of its readers and the Constitution

Our Community Under Siege

Where do we turn when law enforcement threatens citizens like a grim force of nature?

Judge Anna Baca K.O.'s Sheriff Joe Arpaio on jail visitation hours.

Power Play

County law enforcement's attack on the judiciary didn't work, but the war's far from over

Judge Baca smacks down Dennis Wilenchik and the County Attorney's office in the case of the New Times grand jury subpoenas.

Extraordinary Contempt

A judge describes former Special Prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik’s actions against New Times as threatening to the average citizen

Judge Baca says Dennis Wilenchik did not comply with law; some docs still missing from New Times grand jury file.

Racist Daisy-Chain

The Wild Turkey calls the guv a coward, outs Republican white supremacists, and searches for Dennis Wilenchik’s lost subpoenas

PLOT THICKENS IN SUBPOENA SEARCH: Judge Anna Baca demands to see missing docs, orders County Attorney to appear.

Wilenchik's a Liar, and There's More

Besides personally demanding our arrests, Andy Thomas' special prosecutor sought to bankrupt New Times over a misdemeanor and lock up our lawyers

County Attorney’s office (finally) files "Notice of Intent to Dismiss" charges in Lacey/Larkin matter.

He Just Doesn't Get It

Dennis Wilenchik issued hugely invasive subpoenas to New Times without grand jury review

Who's Sorry Now?

Andy Thomas eats crow to save his political career, but wants us to apologize to Sheriff Joe. Fat chance

WITH A WHIMPER, NOT A BANG: Judge Anna Baca unseals court records; Dennis Wilenchik takes a powder.

Breathtaking Abuse of the Constitution

Joe Arpaio, Andy Thomas and Dennis Wilenchik hit New Times with grand jury subpoenas

Gotcha!

Corporations and governments can legally ignore photo tickets in the Valley, while the rest of us are expected to pay up -- or else

In Harm's Way

Cerebral palsy left Jimmy Rodriguez unable to speak or control his limbs. The state allegedly left him with a series of molesters.