Don Stapley

Wolfswinkel Family to Get $1.4 Million in County Settlement Over Legal Abuses; $5 Million in Total Payouts Thanks to Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio

Developer Conley Wolfswinkel, his family and company will received $1.4 million in the largest Maricopa County payout yet to victims of the legal abuses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas. As the county just confirmed, the Wolfswinkels are getting more in this settlement ... More >>

Russell Pearce at RockinRRanch and Lester Pearce Insults All of Maricopa County

See also: Russell Pearce's Wackjob Bro Lester and His Run In with Cari Gerchick See also: Lester Pearce Submits Public Records Request About Ethics Complaint Against Him See also: Russell Pearce's Bro Lester Pearce, Busted See also: Russell Pearce's Brother, Judge Lester Pearce, Stumped for Brother ... 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 >>

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 >>

Right-Wing Bloggers Jump Into County Fray -- and Facts Be Damned

Right-wing slant? No problem. Right-wing "facts" that aren't really facts? Problem.​ The public can be forgiven for not fully understanding the ongoing mess of Maricopa County politics, and why a former county attorney stands to lose his law license. But, dang it, people who publish articles ... More >>

Andy Thomas Longtime Shill Barnett Lotstein Gets To Spin One More Time

To hear Barnett Lotstein tell it, ex-Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Peyton Thomas was willing to sacrifice his political career in order to do the right thing by going after alleged "corruption" in county governmentThis guy was Maricopa County Attorney for six years.​Lotstein spun, um, testified ... More >>

The Feds Have Evidence That Joe Arpaio Broke the Law -- When Will The Indictments Come?

Will the $100 Million Hole Joe Arpaio Dug Kill Him in the 2012 Election?

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Returns Control of Civil Ligitation to County Attorney's Office, Makes Nice With New Guy

Bill Montgomery -- a "good, ethical man" who won't bite the hand that feeds him.​With the enemies of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on the defensive, responsibility for the county's civil lawsuits has been returned to the County Attorney's Office.The Supes had essentially fired for ... 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 >>

Kenneth Feinberg Too Busy With BP to Handle Maricopa County Claims Resolution; Well-Known Mediator was to Add "Trust" To Questionable Process

Image: WikipediaKenneth Feinberg, the country's pre-eminent dispute mediator, is too busy with the BP oil-spill claims to handle ​ Nationally recognized mediator Kenneth Feinberg won't handle the politically delicate claims by Maricopa County officials against the county after all. ... More >>

Montgomery Is Arpaio's Tool, Thomas Kisses the Mat, and More in This Primary Roundup

Rick Romley Bombshell in Arpaio/Thomas Failed Case Against Judges and County Officials: "Miscarriage of Justice Stops Now"

Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley​Bombshell stuff at a press conference just completed in downtown Phoenix at the offices of interim Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley. The biggest news was that a county grand jury last March rejected efforts by one of then-County Attorney Andrew Thoma ... More >>

Joe Arpaio, Andrew Thomas and the Hunt for Judge Gary Donahoe

A Great Day (Coming): We Invoke Iconic Art For Our 40th and to Honor Community Resistance to Oppression

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, April 8, 2010

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has No Conflict in County Attorney Replacement Pick, Supes Say

Good to go: County Supervisors decide they have no conflict in deciding who will replace former County Attorney Andrew Thomas.​ We thought it was possible the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors had a conflict of interest in picking a new county attorney, with two of the five having be ... More >>

Dennis McCarthy, Nebraska-Based Attorney, Is Gila County's Pick to Prosecute Stapley/Wilcox Cases

Dennis McCarthy​The Gila County Attorney's Office is recommending that a Nebraska-based attorney prosecute cases against Maricopa County Supervisors Don Stapley and Mary Rose Wilcox.The Gila County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the appointment of Dennis McCarthy as special pro ... More >>

Andrew Thomas Can't Even Resign Properly, County Claims

Leave it to the guy behind the silliest racketeering lawsuit in the history of racketeering lawsuits to screw up his own resignation.​ Earlier today, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced his resignation, declaring that he'll quit the office to run for Arizona Attorney Genera ... 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 >>

Lisa Aubuchon Admitted to Advising Sheriff While Case Was With "Independent" Prosecutor

The latest revelations from Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk surely had Lady Justice weeping -- or maybe even cutting herself.​ Yesterday's court proceedings examining the question of whether the Maricopa County Attorney's Office must be removed from prosecuting Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox cont ... More >>

Andrew Thomas and Sheila Polk Scheduled to Testify Together Next Week in Mary Rose Wilcox Case

​ A judge on Wednesday cleared the way for a court hearing next week that will have county attorneys Andrew Thomas and Sheila Polk answering questions by Mary Rose Wilcox's lawyer. Thomas' office had tried to quash the compelled testimony, but Pima County Judge John Leornardo wouldn't hear of ... More >>

Tornado Watch in Effect for Maricopa County; WTF?

We're doomed! Probably not.​The National Weather Service has issued an improbable tornado watch for Maricopa and Pinal counties until 10 p.m.Sorry, snowbirds, Phoenix isn't nothin' but sunshine all the time.According to the National Weather Service, a major tornado in Phoenix is incredibly r ... More >>

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 >>

Strip Searches at Maricopa County Jails Are Under Fire, As Is PMT Ambulance; But Phil Gordon's Romance Is in the Clear

Mary Rose Wilcox Charges are Unfounded, Lawyer Says; Claims "Reckless" County Attorney has Conflicts

Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox is a political victim and innocent of the crimes alleged in last week's indictment, her lawyer said today in a news conference. He's at least half right.   Image: Ray Stern Earl Wilcox, Mary Rose Wilcox and Colin Campbell. &nbs ... More >>

Smoking Gun on Arpaio's Financial Forms; Thomas Wrong About Allegation Not Panning Out

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas claimed at a news conference on Tuesday that allegations of problems with Sheriff Joe Arpaio's financial-disclosure forms "haven't panned out." He also says that if his office received bona fide information about a possible violation of the law, he'd act o ... More >>

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

Thomas and Arpaio Talk Tough on County "Corruption," Deflect Questions About Their Own Credibility

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio vowed on Tuesday to get to the bottom of what they call a serious corruption problem among county leaders and judges. Their afternoon news conference followed the announcement earlier today that County Supervisors Don Stapley and Mary Ros ... More >>

Arpaio Investigating Governor Jan Brewer, Source Says; Guv's Campaign Manager Also Under Scrutiny

Image: Ray Stern​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal investigation into potential misdeeds by county leaders includes Governor Jan Brewer, a source close to the investigation tells New Times.The source, who did not want to want to be identified, did not want to elaborate on the subject o ... More >>

Andy Thomas Says He'll Take Back Stapley Case or Sue if He Can't Pick Special Prosectuors

​Stymied by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, County Attorney Andrew Thomas now threatens to conduct the investigation and possible prosecution of Don Stapley in his own office. Again.Remember, the first case against Stapley traveled from Thomas' office to the Yavapai County Attorney's ... More >>

Ex-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias on Joe Arpaio: "I Would Seek an Indictment" (w/Video)

from CBS 5 KPHOFormer federal prosecutor David Iglesias said he would seek an indictment against Sheriff ArpaioCBS 5's nearly ten-minute segment on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's abuse of power last night did not disappoint. Essentially, reporter Morgan Loew and producer Gilbert Zermeno laid out all of the ma ... More >>

Thomas Trying Again to Get County Supervisors to Approve Special Prosecutors -- Whose Job Will be to Investigate Supervisors

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas didn't suceed at first, so he's trying again -- this time threatening the county Board of Supervisors with legal action unless they consider appointing special prosecutors to conduct an "investigation" of those same Supervisors. In a letter sent ... More >>

County Attorney's Office Flubs Response to County on Special Prosecutors Sought in Stapley Case

Image: www.thomasforagexploratory.com Andrew Thomas​ You don't have to be a lawyer to see that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office messed up part of its response to county management over the issue of hiring special prosecutors in the case against Don Stapley. The technical flub, whi ... More >>

Wilcox: No Conflict in Voting on Special Prosecutors Issue; Longtime County Supervisor is Under Investigation

Image: Social Eye Media​ The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted today to publicly release a legal analysis that explains why County Attorney Andrew Thomas' request to hire special prosecutors wasn't being heard. Click here to read the eight-page analysis, which supports the Supe ... More >>

Note to Andrew Thomas: You are STILL Not Dennis Wilenchik (Sorry!)

​We were amused by Andrew Thomas's pissy little press release last night, in which the Maricopa County Attorney threw a pity party over the fact that nearly half the charges against Supervisor Don Stapley have been thrown out.Thomas, of course, runs the agency that originally indicted Stapley ... More >>

Don Stapley Case Bombshell: Andrew Thomas Refers Prosecution to Yavapai County; Offers Olive Branch to County Leaders

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is waving the white flag. He's transferring the investigation of Don Stapley and the planned Superior Court building to Yavapai County. And he's offering to resolve through a mediator his legal dispute about the county's civil litigation work. Th ... More >>

"Appearance of Evil" Requires Personal Sanctions Against County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Say County Supervisors

A conflict of interest between Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the county Board of Supervisors over the investigation of a planned court tower creates the "appearance of evil," a judge has ruled.  Judge Gary Donahoe The background: In the midst of a feud with the County Superv ... More >>

County's New Civil Litigation Department Approved by Court; Andrew Thomas Thwarted

  Just got word that the cease-and-desist motion filed by Maricopa County Andrew Thomas to stop the county from taking over civil litigation matters has failed. Superior Court Judge Donald Daughton rejected the motion. As we were the first to report on Monday, the county Board of Supervisors v ... More >>

County Creates New Civil Litigation Department With Money Taken From County Attorney Andrew Thomas

The Maricopa County Board Supervisors today sealed the deal on their transfer of power over civil litigation matters out of the office of County Attorney Andrew Thomas (pictured). With a vote in their informal meeting this morning, the supervisors created a new department to handle civil lawsui ... More >>

Maricopa County Supervisors Slam County Attorney Aide Over Andrew Thomas No-Show; Arpaio's Inmate Segregation at Issue

Call it an unexcused absence. Maricopa County Andrew Thomas skipped a county Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday despite having been pointedly -- and publicly -- asked to show up and give advice on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's plan to segregate illegal immigrant jail inmates ... More >>

Andrew Thomas Fired as County Attorney on Civil Matters by Board of Supervisors

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has essentially fired County Attorney Andrew Thomas when it comes to handling civil lawsuits for the county. Thomas, who was re-elected in November to a second four-year term, will still be the county's chief prosecutor. But the county supervisors stripped T ... More >>

Don Stapley Case: Andrew Thomas Offers Up "Experts" Who Say Stapley Judge is Biased

If you don't believe Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas when he says the judge appointed to hear the Don Stapley criminal case is biased, maybe you'll believe the experts he rounded up. Thomas submitted affidavits to the county Superior Court today by the experts, consisting of two judges, an a ... More >>

Meet the New County, Same as the Old County

Loose Screws

The patriotic pigeon uses the bleedin’ facts to peck holes in the rantings of 9/11 conspiracy wacktivists!

Meth Madness

For $5 million, Arizona can grow its population of meth users -- just like Montana

County Connivers

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

Ticket to Raid

Their World Series tickets still unaccounted for, county supervisors try to shut out criticism

Human Plights

International group urges immediate stop to Arpaio jail practices

JERRY PANDERING BEGETS GERRYMANDERINGSUPERVISORS PLAY POLITICAL HOT POTATO WITH SUN CITY AND SUN CITY WEST