Appellate Trials

Andrew Thomas Deadline to Appeal Disbarment is Tuesday; Rachel Alexander May Sue County Over Defense Costs

  Disgraced former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to file an appeal to his disbarment order. The failed politician lost his law license after a disciplinary panel of the state Supreme Court found he had committed perjury, filed charges he knew ... More >>

Judge Gary Donahoe's Contempt Ruling In Arpaio Detention Officer Case Upheld, but Odd Sanction Remanded

The Arizona Court of Appeals today upheld a Maricopa County judge's contempt-of-court ruling against a sheriff's detention officer who lifted legal papers from a criminal-defense attorney in open court and had them copied. Gary Donahoe, who until recently was the county's presi ... More >>

Clean Elections Matching Funds Update: Goldwater Tries to Stop the Stay

Nick Dranias, attorney for the Goldwater Institute​Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn Silver put an end to all-important "matching funds" provisions in Arizona's clean elections system, saying that -- absent a stay from the appellate court -- publicly funded candidates will onl ... More >>

CityNorth Subsidy Sent Back to Court of Appeals

Is this parking lot worth $97 million? If not, the city of Phoenix wouldn't be permitted to make a deal like CityNorth in the future, says the Arizona Supreme Court.​The Arizona Supreme Court today unanimously reversed an appellate court ruling on the CityNorth case, saying it erred wh ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Lawyer for Records Dispute Costing Taxpayers $990 -- Per Hour

Joe Arpaio has spared no expense in his quest to read e-mails penned by county judges.​ We knew Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was desperate to read e-mails penned by judges and court staffers. But even we had no idea he was this desperate. According to documents obtained by New Ti ... More >>

Will Convicted Child-Killer Debra Milke Win New Trial? We're Betting She Will

Spent some of the morning in the federal courtroom of Judge Robert Broomfield, who is considering whether to order a new trial for longtime Arizona death-row inmate Debra Milke, convicted two decades ago of orchestrating the execution-style murder of her 4-year-old son Christopher.   ... More >>

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 and Thomas Thwarted Again in Quest to Read Court E-mail

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is thwarted again in his quest to read Barbara Mundell's e-mail. For now, anyway.​The Arizona Court of Appeals has jumped into the middle of the so-called corruption probe that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas have been attempting to esc ... More >>

Arizona Court to Rule if Shoplifters Deserve Jury Trials

www.funnyphotos.net​An Arizona appeals court is set to issue a ruling today about whether people accused of shoplifting are entitled to jury trials.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Denied -- Again -- On Public Records Lawsuit

Sheriff Joe gets a third strike in his attempt to read court email.​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has lost yet another round in his near-endless quest to read the email of Superior Court judges.This decision, from the Arizona Court of Appeals, appears to mark the third such rejection. A ... More >>

Andrew Thomas to Re-File County Case in Court of Appeals; Attempt to "Expedite" Case in Supreme Court Shot Down

​ Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will try another venue to appeal his lost lawsuit against the county after being turned down by the state Supreme Court. Barnett Lotstein, a top aide to Thomas, tells New Times that the case -- which involves the county's strip ... More >>

Brewer Picks Tucson Republican as New State Supreme Court Justice

​ Governor Jan Brewer put out a news release this afternoon announcing she's picked A. John Pelander III to fill a vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court. The vacancy was created by the upcoming retirement of Chief Justice Ruth McGregor. As the Arizona Republic notes today, Pelander is a Repub ... More >>

Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Legislative Districting Plan

Ruth McGregor This just in: The Arizona Supreme Court has upheld the state's legislative districting plan, nearly seven years after it was initially adopted.A group of left-leaning advocates, including Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, State Representative Pete Rios and the Hispanic Bar A ... More >>

CityNorth: With Nordstrom Gone, Phoenix Fights for the Right to Bail Out Abu Dhabi

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 >>

Arizona Court of Appeals Mercifully Rules Against a State Agency That Told a Poor Woman She Didn't Need Dentures, That She Could Just Exist on a Liquid Diet

Some years ago, Bridget Sharpe became eligible for AHCCCS, the state's health-care program for the needy. She enrolled with the program's Mercy Care Plan to receive medical services.  What remained of Sharpe's teeth were in a state of "rampant decay," according to an Arizona Co ... More >>

What are Metadata? (And Why You Should Care When Government Won't Let You See Them)

We've never even tried to obtain metadata from a government agency, and now the Arizona Court of Appeals tells us we can't have them.   What the hell are megadata, anyway? (And isn't it annoying they must used in plural form?)   Well, it turns out that every keyst ... More >>

Court Ruling on Havasupai Blood Case Good News for Tiny Tribe

A state appellate court ruling has given new life to a lawsuit filed by the tiny Havasupai nation over blood samples that the tribe was told would be used for the study of tribal diabetes but instead were used for other research. Back in 2004, we wrote "Indian Givers," a chilling ... More >>

Buddhist Temple Murders Killer's Conviction Overturned by Ninth Circuit Court

The nightmare of the 1991 massacre at a Phoenix Buddhist temple resurfaced today after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of the triggerman in the slayings, Jonathan Doody (pictured above with his lawyer). The Associated Press reports that the appeals court judges found ... More >>

Arizona Appeals Court Upholds Conspiracy Conviction for Illegal Immigrant

Arizona Supreme Court Tells Sheriff Joe to Take a Hike; New Times Victory Upheld

A shocking court decision might free builders from responsibility for home defects

Sheriff Joe's Nick Tarr-baby: Joe Arizona plots his revenge.

Hey Diddle Diddle

Abortion doctor Brian Finkel will remain in prison for at least 20 more years, after a recent appellate court loss

Luck Out

The state's mistake means a convicted killer goes free - at least for now

Identity Crisis

Court committee considers keeping the names of jurors secret

Dead Man Talking

Killer Robert Comer is pleased with a decision that may end his life

Appealing Outcome

Inmate finally wins his own freedom after six-year legal fight

Rx: Retrial

Convicted of a 1984 drugstore heist, a prisoner may receive a long-overdue dose of freedom

Feds Will Retry Symington on Criminal Counts, Sources Say

Paradise Lost

Does Fife Symington have the guts to finally 'fess up?

Flashes

The Once and Future Mom

CPS slammed for severing parental rights while doing little to preserve the family

That Would Be You, Mr. Chief Justice

Zlaket casts misguided stones in controversial rape case

Symington Gets Slammer

Cheers and jeers greet news of ex-governor's prison stint

Poison Penance

Man whose tainted hot dogs sickened cat loses bid to be tried by jury for "moral turpitude"

Lives Overturned

After an eight-year struggle, Darlene Span succeeds where Alan Dershowitz failed

Proselytizing Prosecutor Strikes Again

Child-molestation conviction overturned because of "egregious error"

A Heartbreaking Ruling

THE UNTOUCHABLE

EVERYONE AGREES JOHN SAHHAR DOESN'T BELONG ON THE STREET, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF HIM.

THE RULE 11 REVOLVING DOOR

A LOOPHOLE HAS ALLOWED THE MENTALLY INCOMPETENT TO COMMIT CRIME AFTER CRIME, WITHOUT BEING PUNISHED OR PLACED UNDER SUPERVISION

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

MAN INJURED WHILE PLAYING HACKY SACK WINS WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS

TORT ABORT

AN OBSCENE LOOPHOLE DOUGLAS GATES WENT TO PRISON FOR SECRETLY VIDEOTAPING NAKED CHILDREN NOW, AN APPEALS COURT SAYS HE SHOULD GO FREE

COURT OF NO RESORT

BARBARA ROSS SAYS A JUDGE AND HER FORMER HUSBAND--ATTORNEY GENERAL GRANT WOODS--TRANPLED HER CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS IN A CHILD CUSTODY CASE

CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND DEDICATED TO WHAT?

JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDESELDON-INVOKED LAW LEADS TO OVERTURNING OF MURDER CONVICTION

LIABILITY ON THE LINKS

APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS RULING THAT GOLF CARTS SHOULD BE REGISTERED, INSURED

SHRINKS GRANTED IMMUNITY

THE LITTLE LAWSUIT THAT COULD

HEY, JUDGE, PUT THAT BLINDFOLD BACK ON!