David Smith

Steven LaMar, Cave Creek Councilman, Dumped as Lawyer for Maricopa County Amid Criticism in Mary Rose Wilcox Claim

Maricopa County has dumped Cave Creek Councilman Steven LaMar following his failure to convince a federal judge that a $975,000 payment to Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox might need further authorization.LaMar was appointed to defend the county in late 2010 against the claims and subsequent lawsuits by ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Justice Department Problem Could Cost County Way More Than $25 Million

On Wednesday, we told you about U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy asking Attorney General Eric Holder asking if Maricopa County could be on the hook for repaying up to $25 million in federal taxpayer coin, thanks to the Justice Department's civil-rights case against Sheriff Joe Arpaio.Turns out, alleged ci ... More >>

Mary Rose Wilcox's Attempt to Force $975,000 Settlement From County to be Heard by Judge Next Month

Lawyers for Maricopa County and Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox have agreed on a schedule to present their court arguments for why the county should pay Wilcox a $975,000 settlement. As one of the targets of failed investigations by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas, ... More >>

Maria Brandon, Fired Maricopa Civil Attorney, Says County Retaliated Against Her for Defending Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Maricopa County leaders retaliated against a county civil attorney for providing Sheriff Joe Arpaio legal help and for voicing her opinion to a newspaper, the woman claims in a lawsuit.Maria Brandon, a veteran deputy county attorney until her termination in June of 2011, says that her civil rig ... More >>

Mary Rose Wilcox, Barbara Mundell and Susan Schuerman Settlements Will Save Maricopa County Millions, County Says

Pending settlements to Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, retired Judge Barbara Mundell and county employee Susan Schuerman will reportedly save the county millions.The county says that, the settlements to Mundell and Schuerman (Supervisor Don Stapley's executive assistant) are now final, ... More >>

Maricopa County Mum on Taxpayer-Funded Lawsuit Settlements by County Officials

Several former and current Maricopa County officials received settlements in their lawsuits against Maricopa County last night -- but the county isn't giving up the amounts. No news release for this one -- and it's not hard to understand why. The issue of payoffs is sensitive because public mon ... More >>

David Smith, Maricopa County Manager, to Retire in April; Served During Legal Fights With Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Maricopa County Manager David Smith announced today that he'll retire on April 27 after 17 years on the job. Smith, 65, was at the helm during countless storms, guiding the county through severe fiscal crises and years of emotional legal battles with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney And ... More >>

No Charges for Arpaio's Office in Questionable Travel and Inmate Fund Expenses, U.S. Attorney's Office Decides

Dennis Burke has reviewed questionable practices at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in regards to an inmate trust fund and travel expenses -- and concluded that nothing illegal occurred.​ Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke can't find any chargeable offenses after a review of the Maricopa ... More >>

Dennis Burke Won't Prosecute Sheriff Arpaio or His Employees Over "Exorbitant" Extradition Costs

​ Extraditions performed by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office were "inexplicably exorbitant" but not a criminal misuse of public funds, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke has decided. At the request of County Manager David Smith (see below), Burke's office conducted a review of how Sheri ... More >>

Secret Recording Reveals Strategy and "Fun" at Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Staff Meeting in '09

​ If you read only part of the four large PDFs from the SCA investigative report we posted last night, make sure it's the 65-page transcript of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's July 27, 2009 staff meeting. We mentioned a couple of the amusing parts of the transcript in posts this morning, ... More >>

Paul Babeu's Joe Arpaio Probe: Who Pays for It?

PCSOShould Babeu get funds from Maricopa County to pay for the Munnell memo inquiry? Who will pick up the tab for Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's investigation into the allegations made in MCSO Deputy Chief Frank Munnell's memo? And should Maricopa County pay for any of it, particularly considerin ... More >>

Lisa Aubuchon Asks Court to Block Her Responses to State Bar From Being Distributed to County Enemies

Photo illustration: Ray Stern​ Lisa Aubuchon gave up confidential info to a State Bar investigator regarding Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas, and she doesn't want that info leaked out. The deputy county attorney, once the attack-wolf for Arpaio ... More >>

Morning Poll: Does Andrew Thomas Kinda Look Like a Grown-up Version of Super-Bully Scut Farkus?

www.imdb.comSuper-bully Scut Farkus​Since Andrew Thomas quit his gig as Maricopa County attorney to run for attorney general, his sinister smirk hasn't been plastered all over the New Times Web site nearly as often as when he was launching baseless investigations into judges and his -- and Joe Arp ... More >>

Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio "Corruption" Case Against County Judge: a Dog

Back from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office headquarters in downtown Phoenix, where we spent a few hours looking through public files involving the infamous, spectacularly overblown (yet never prosecuted) "bribery" case against Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe. Conclusion: & ... More >>

Arpaio-Thomas Feud had Nothing to do With Sweep for Bugs, County Manager Says

County Manager David Smith says last year's sweep for bugs in county offices had nothing to do with its problems with Arpaio and Thomas.​Last year's sweep of Maricopa County offices for hidden bugs had nothing to do with the feud between county officials and the tag-team of Sheriff Joe Arpa ... 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 >>

MCSO Detention Officers Get Back Pay From County -- After Sheriff Joe Arpaio Refuses to Issue Checks?

This sign greeted people visiting the county administration building today.​Last week, Maricopa County cut an extra $2 million worth of checks -- money owed to detention officers as part of a settlement with the Department of Labor investigation into allegations that the sheriff's office routinely ... More >>

Sandi Wilson Files Notice Against Maricopa County -- Demands Apology?

Deputy County Manager Sandi Wilson wants an apology.​Here's a new one.Deputy County Manager Sandi Wilson has filed a notice of claim against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former county attorney Andrew Thomas. But she's not asking for big bucks.She simply wants a written apology.Wilson, a 17-year county e ... More >>

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Poor Labor Practices Will Cost Maricopa County $2 Million

The Shurf just cost taxpayers another $2 million -- but there go his office's credit cards!​At a meeting this morning, county supervisors voted unanimously to curtail Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's access to county credit cards -- putting a $200 per-purchase limit on cards issued to th ... More >>

Maricopa County Supervisors to Weigh Housing Authority Takeover

Doug Lingner (pictured) left the housing authority -- now the county may be taking it over.​Acting at the suggestion of Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will explore the possibility of folding the Housing Authority of Maricopa County back under its contro ... More >>

Don Stapley Claim in Arpaio-Thomas Flap Likely to be Handled Outside of Maricopa County Leadership, Says County Manager; Other Claims Expected

  Maricopa County Manager David Smith wants the claim against the county by Supervisor Don Stapley handled in a way the public will find legitimate.​The claim against Maricopa County by Supervisor Don Stapley, and other similar claims expected to roll in, will be handled outside the co ... More >>

The Court Tower Conspiracy: Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio's Court Tower "Cover-Up" Sounds Like a Good Story, But It's Pure Fiction

Amended RICO Complaint Against County Officials Is Still a Piece of Crap

Andrew Thomas' latest RICO filing is full of lame conspiracy theories. What else is new?​We thought that this time, maybe things would be different.Ha!Last month, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas filed a lawsuit against county officials and a few prominent ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Grand Jury Probe Begins, One Witness' Lawyer Expects Investigation to Last "Six Months"

Maricopa County Manager David Smith (left) with his attorney Michael Black, outside the federal courthouse in PhoenixThere was a chill, and dare I say it, a thrill in the air for some, on this winter Wednesday morning, the first day of a federal grand jury looking into criminal abuses of power by Sh ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Subject of Federal Grand Jury, Channel 5 Reports

Reckon they have pink undies in the federal pen? According to KPHO's 5 p.m. newscast, the station has confirmed that a federal grand jury is looking into Sheriff Joe Arpaio's abuses of power, and his retaliatory investigations of his political enemies. Reporter Morgan Loew just broke ... More >>

State Bar Tosses Complaints by Sheriff's Office Against County Leaders; Hendershott Disses Bar

The State Bar of Arizona has rejected five complaints against Maricopa County leaders submitted a few months ago by the Sheriff's Office. Dave Hendershott, chief deputy of the Sheriff's Office, wrote to the State Bar with complaints against County Manager David Smith, Wade Swanson (director of gener ... More >>

County Attorney's Office Should be Disqualified from Trying Cases, Defense Attorneys Say

Will Andrew Thomas be stopped from handling criminal cases, too? Some defense lawyers are working on it.​Earlier this year, the county took away the Maricopa County Attorney's Office ability to represent the board of supervisors -- setting up a separate "civil litigation" department that ans ... More >>

Sheriff's Office Raids Computer Company, Accuses County Leaders (Again) of Fraud and Other Crimes

The squabble between Maricopa County officials took yet another turn today as deputies raided the offices of a local computer firm, looking for evidence of fraud and other crimes. For close followers of the circus acts that pass for county news these days, you'll need another branch for the flow cha ... More >>

Lawsuit Funds Limited for County Agencies Under "Talk First, Sue Later" Plan Adopted Today

  ​The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, tired of being sued by other elected officials, voted today to limit payment of legal fees in lawsuits between county departments. Nine lawsuits filed by county officials against the county, including eight against the Board of Super ... More >>

More County Squabbling: Treasurer Sues County Leaders, Claiming His Office is Being Stripped of Money (and Therefore, Power)

"Hos," the Maricopa County Treasurer​ Maricopa County Treasurer Charles "Hos" Hoskins has finally carried through on a threat he made back in December to sue the county again. Hoskins already has a lawsuit pending against the county regarding the alleged swiping of his office's IT equipment. ... More >>

Hendershott Defends Son on Overtime Issue; Also Denies He Ever Gave Up Computer Password

​ Since we're on speaking terms (for the time being) with Dave Hendershott, chief deputy of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Joe Arpaio's right-hand man, we've got a few other things to relate to you. From interviews last night and today with him, we learned: *Hendershott is ticked o ... More >>

Arpaio and Hendershott Order Troops to Seize County Computers Containing Data That a Judge Ruled Arpaio Couldn't Have

Chief Deputy Dave Hendershott​ The county feud took what is perhaps its ugliest turn yesterday as deputies with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office seized county computers with data a court already ruled the sheriff couldn't access. County Manager David Smith called Sheriff Joe Arpaio a "thug ... More >>

Arpaio to Donate $2,600 to "Charities" as Sheriff's Office Employees Forced on Furloughs

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced today he'll take $2,613 out of his $97,000 yearly salary and donate it to "charities" while his employees are forced to take unpaid, two-week furloughs. In typical self-aggrandizing fashion for the sheriff, the beneficiaries of Arpaio's largess will ... More >>

County Officials Respond to Arpaio's Criticism on Budget; County Manager Says He's Volunteering $23,000 Pay Cut

Image: www.maricopa.gov Maricopa County officials responded to criticism by Sheriff Joe Arpaio today about budget cuts, saying the sheriff's office is not the only county agency that's hurting. In a prepared statement, county leaders outline how Arpaio signed off on the budget he's now complaining a ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, July 2, 2009

Don Stapley Conflict Erases Trust, Despite Smarmy Surrender by "Backstabbing" Andy Thomas, Says County

  Maricopa County leaders had little but cyncism for  the surprising announcement by County Attorney Andrew Thomas this morning to hand off the Don Stapley prosecution. Trusting Thomas will be difficult despite his call for peace, says County Manager David Smith, who somehow ... More >>

Maricopa County Supervisors Spend $14,600 Sweeping for Bugs

Max Wilson, Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of SupervisorsIt seems like the very definition of paranoia: Spending thousands of dollars sweeping for hidden electronic devices -- and finding none.But that's what Maricopa County Supervisors are doing -- with your money.The county has n ... More >>

County Manager Disses Chief Deputy David Hendershott -- Calls Him "Just Plain Childish"

County Manager David Smith didn't call David Hendershott (far left) fat. But we will.Maricopa County Manager David Smith lit into Sheriff Joe Arpaio's top aide at a meeting last Friday, comparing him to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and calling him "just plain childish." Amazingly, Chief Deputy D ... More >>

Judge Orders Thomas to Show Conflicts in Case Vs. County Supervisors; Kicks Arpaio Off Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed against the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors by County Attorney Andrew Thomas can proceed, a judge has ruled, but Thomas must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in the case. Retired Superior Court Judge Donald Daughton also kicked Sheriff Joe Arpaio off the lawsuit, ... More >>

Twenty-three years after Kathleen Smith's storied Tempe murder, a footprint will loom large in her alleged killer's upcoming trial

The Surreal World

The persistence of persistence

Great Clips

Eighth-graders learn about the Holocaust

County Connivers

Maricopa officials let the hospital system collapse financially, costing taxpayers $82 million-plus

Dying Breeds

Siberian Eskimos on the edge of the Earth and the brink of starvation saved their lives and their culture by reviving the lost tradition of whale hunting. Now they worry the gray whales are poisoned.

Jackson Action

Ragtag downtown neighborhood gets a touch of the iron

Night & Day

October 15 - 21, 1998

Flashes

Risky Business

A former employee says Maricopa County is better at covering up than cleaning up its environmental hazards. And that could get the county in trouble for financial fraud--again.

Constable Trouble

Danny Wilcox, the Tolleson area's elected constable, hasn't been to work since November