Maricopa County Attorney's Office

Ame Deal's Alleged Killers Last to Face Charges as Third Family Member Pleads Guilty to Abuse

The alleged killers of 10-year-old Ame Deal are the last to face charges in the 2011 case, as three family members now have pleaded guilty to abuse charges and charges were dropped against another.First-degree murder charges are still pending against Samantha Allen, Ame's cousin, and Allen's husband ... More >>

Eric Coulter Found Guilty of Fatally Shooting Ex-Girlfriend With "Military-Style Assault Rifle"

A Chandler man who claimed he "accidentally" shot his ex-girlfriend in the head with a rifle in 2011 was found guilty yesterday of manslaughter.Eric Coulter, who was 18 at the time, killed his ex-girlfriend Monique Cota with what the Maricopa County Attorney's Office calls a "military-style assault ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Supported by Former Anti-Drug, Reagan-Appointed U.S. Attorney

On the list of people we'd probably never expect to come out in support of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, we'd probably put an anti-drug crusader U.S. Attorney who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan somewhere near the top of the list.However, we've seen that man, A. Melvin McDonald, all ov ... More >>

Joseluis Marquez Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2010 Murder of ASU Student Kyleigh Sousa

Joseluis Marquez was sentenced to life in prison, plus a few extra years, for the 2010 robbery and murder of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Kyleigh Sousa.Sousa was dragged by a car in an attempted robbery of her purse in an IHOP parking lot just south of the University's Tempe campus o ... More >>

Cocopah Police Chief Above the Law? Ask the Yuma Man Whose Son Found the Chief's Gun

Cocopah Tribal Police Chief James Spurgeon wasn't charged for allegedly leaving his gun at the Yuma home of an "acquaintance" in August, but the man whose 6-year-old son found that gun still has some questions.Levi Cochnauer told Yuma police at the time that his son found the gun next to his bed, an ... More >>

No Charges for Arpaio: U.S. Closes Criminal Investigation of Maricopa Sheriff and Former County Attorney Andrew Thomas

See also: Investigating Joe Arpaio The U.S. Attorney's Office announced today that it has closed its investigation into criminal conduct by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas with no charges against either man. The announcement came after 5 p.m. o ... More >>

Shapiro/Gaudet Murders: County Attorney to Seek Death Penalty for Michael Crane

See also: Shapiro/Gaudet Murders: Slightly Less Redacted Police Reports ReleasedSee also: Michael Crane "Refused" to Go to Court TodaySee also: See also: Michael Crane Indicted in Murders of P.V. Couple and Bruce GaudetSee also: P.V. Murders: Heavily Redacted Arrest Report ReleasedThe Maricopa Count ... More >>

Cardinals Fan Who Shot Raiders Fan Is Ex-Cop; Glendale Police Say Self-Defense Issue Possible

See also: Oakland Raiders Come to Town, Someone Gets ShotSee also: Glendale Police Say Cardinals Fan Shot the Raiders FanGlendale police say investigators will be sending their findings to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to determine possible charges in the shooting outside of the University o ... More >>

Andy Thomas UPDATE: Some Heroes Did Emerge In This Creepy Cautionary Tale

Today's written ruling by the three-person panel that calls for the disbarment of former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and his "special assistant" Lisa Aubuchon should be mandatory reading, and not just for lawyers.It is profound in fact and happens to be beautifully written.One example of ... More >>

Paradise Valley Murders: Heavily Redacted Arrest Report Released; Michael Crane Discussed Setting House On Fire

Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro were murdered last month in their Paradise Valley home. Six suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder.​The arrest reports for the six people allegedly connected to the brutal murders of a Paradise Valley couple last month were unsealed this afternoon, but ... More >>

Will Cops Find Jhessye Shockley's Body?

​The Glendale Police Department announced yesterday that it plans to move forward with plans to search a landfill for the remains of 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley, who's been missing since October and is presumed dead.Since Shockley's disappearance, the case has gone from a missing person investigat ... More >>

Jhessye Shockley Disappearance: Glendale Police Won't Search Landfill For Girl's Remains

Jhessye Shockley was reported missing on October 11. The last time she was seen alive was September 22.​The Glendale Police Department says it no longer plans to search a city landfill for the remains of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley, who was reported missing nearly two months ago.Glendale S ... More >>

Jerice Hunter, Mom Eyed in Disappearance of 5-Year-Old Jhessye Shockley, Has an Attorney. Meet Scott Maasen

​A Valley attorney -- best known for representing an escort who accused baseball villain Albert Belle of stalking her in 2006 -- has been recruited to represent Jerice Hunter, the mother of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley.Attorney Scott Maasen has agreed to represent Hunter, his office confirm ... More >>

Jerice Hunter, Mother Suspected in Disappearance of 5-Year-Old Jhessye Shockley, Released From Jail

MCSOJerice Hunter is a free woman...for now.​Jerice Hunter, the mother of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley -- who is suspected in the girl's disappearance -- has been released from jail.Hunter, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says, was released about 10:40 a.m today.Jerry Cobb, spokesman f ... More >>

Baseline Killer Mark Goudeau Guilty on All Murder Counts; Faces Death Penalty. Sentencing Hearing Scheduled For Wednesday

Baseline Killer Mark Goudeau faces the death penalty after getting convicted of nine counts of murder.​After a five-month trial, and seven days of jury deliberation, Baseline Killer Mark Goudeau has been convicted of all nine of the murder charges against him.Goudeau faced 72 felony counts s ... More >>

Andy Thomas/Lisa Aubuchon Thought Office Investigators Were Good Nazis But Were Wrong

One of the more telling moments during fired deputy county attorney Lisa Aubuchon's remarkable testimony at yesterday's disciplinary hearing was her twisted take on office investigators Mark Stribling and Tim Cooning.Andrew Peyton Thomas​It came during Aubuchon's Twilight Zone-like account of what ... More >>

Andy Thomas' Hit Lady Lisa Aubuchon Testifying At Disciplinary Hearing

An unrepentant Lisa Aubuchon is testifying at the moment before a hearing panel that is considering serious disciplinary action against her, her ex-boss County Attorney Andrew Thomas and another attorney.LAndy Thomas: His testimony is forthcoming.​Aubuchon has been trying to explain the litany of ... More >>

Hells Angel Kevin Augustiniak Pleads Guilty to Murder in 2001 Slaying of Cynthia Garcia

www.bighousecrew.net Kevin Augustiniak​Ten years after murdering Mesa resident Cynthia Garcia, one of several members of the Hells Angels initially charged in her death has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.Kevin J. Augustiniak entered his plea last week, nearly eight years after his 2 ... More >>

Arrest Made in South Phoenix Serial Rapist Case

​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced this morning that a man has been arrested in connection to three sexual assaults dating back to November.Dajuan Donaldson, 18, was arrested this morning in connection with the attacks on three young girls as they walked to school.The first attack ha ... More >>

Morning Poll: Is State AG Tom Horne the Latest to Cower to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

James KingAnything for you, Joe.​Last week, the much-anticipated SCA investigative report was released to the public (New Times staffers had a blast thumbing through some of the findings, which may or may not involve seducing a "live sheep." Check it out here and here).The case involves the lies, ... More >>

County Attorney Bill Montgomery Loses Top Prosecutor Jim Keppel to AG's Office

Jim Keppel, a veteran prosecutor and retired Superior Court judge who returned to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to help out after Andy Thomas resigned last year, spent his first day at his new job yesterday, running the criminal division of the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. J ... More >>

Kevin Gerster, Former MCSO Detention Officer Accused of Beating Inmates, Charged With Aggravated Assault

Former MCSO detention officer Kevin Gerster.​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced today that Kevin Gerster, the former Maricopa County detention officer seen on security video punching two restrained inmates, has been charged with several crimes for his alleged misdoings while a member ... More >>

Tapes Released of 9-1-1 Call from Mother of 3-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Car

Three-year-old Jayden Carpenter was found dead in his mother's car yesterday.​There's speculation that the 3-year-old boy who was found dead in his family's car yesterday was left in the car by his mother, which goes against her claim that she took her eye off of him for a few minutes and he wande ... More >>

Rick Romley Seeks Hate Crime Enhancement for White-on-Brown Shooting in South Phoenix

Alleged killer Gary Kelley now facing hate crime enhancement in a South Phoenix shootingThe Maricopa County Attorney's Office has confirmed that prosecutors will seek a hate crime enhancement against Gary Kelley in the May 6 shooting death of Juan Varela in a South Phoenix neighborhood.Kelley, an An ... More >>

Maricopa County Superior Court's Norm Davis Officially Takes Over as Presiding Judge

Norm Davis, a steady-as-she-goes gent we dealt with when he presided as the chief judge in both Juvenile and Family Court, started his five-year term today as the presiding judge of Maricopa County Superior Court. ​  What we like about Judge Davis (that's a photo of him from a few ... More >>

Apache Junction Mom Charged With "Hoax With Terrorist Intent" After Haz-Mat Prank on Sons

www.theseriouscomedysite.com​Rochelle Lambert and her two sons have been locked in a heated prank war for nearly 15 years.As the battle waged, everything from Vaseline on the toilet seat to blue food coloring in the shower heads have been used as weapons, but a little baking soda and a jar w ... More >>

Andy Thomas Wins Minor Victory Over Defense Attorneys Who Want Him and His Office Tossed Off Cases

A Superior Court judge has ruled against several criminal defendants who wanted him to disqualify the Maricopa County Attorney's Office from prosecuting their cases.  ​Judge Wallace Hoggatt is the Cochise County jurist assigned to the sweeping case by a "special master" who is overseeing ... More >>

County Attorney Thomas and Crew File "Special Action" in Arpaio Detention Officer Flap

We've just gotten word that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has filed a "special action" with the Arizona Court of Appeals in legal protest of Judge Gary Donahoe's recent jailing of county Detention Officer Adam Stoddard. ​We haven't yet seen the pleading, filed on behalf of Stodd ... More >>

Criminal Complaint Filed Against Judge Gary Donahoe; Today's Hearing on Special Prosecutors Canceled

  ​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced this morning that a criminal complaint has been filed against the Superior Court's criminal division chief, Judge Gary Donahoe (at left). Michael Scerbo, spokesman for County Attorney Andrew Thomas, stated in a news release that Donahoe ... More >>

County Attorney Wants Second Liberian Boy Charged as Adult in Rape of Little Girl

County Attorney Andrew Thomas​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office wants to charge a second teen attacker as an adult in the sexual assault of an 8-year-old Liberian girl.Last month, police say the 8-year-old was sexually assaulted by four Liberian boys -- ages 9, 10, 13, and 14. After the ... More >>

Would-be Corruption Activist Charged With Fraud in Bench-Advertising Scheme

​ A local reverend who runs a Web site alleging government corruption has been indicted on 17 counts of fraud in connection with an advertising ripoff. Over the last three years, John Stone (pictured), 52, convinced several area business owners to fund missing-childre ... More >>

Arpaio's Public Records Requests are Cloverfield Monster Size

  Andrew ThomasThis is one Titanic fishing expedition. The requests made of county offices by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and Sheriff's Office have received a lot of attention because they're so broad, but details about them in the press have been scarce. We figu ... More >>

Maricopa County Attorney Suffers Stunning Defeat in Bryant Wilkerson Case -- Not Guilty On All But One Count

  Andy Hartmark Bryant WilkersonFor three weeks, jurors heard testimony in State v. Bryant Wilkerson, as the Maricopa County Attorney's Office attempted to a convince them that a 28-year-old Fountain Hills man was guilty of manslaughter, aggravated assault, and multiple c ... 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 >>

Judge Wants Explanation for Leaked File in Stapley Case (Sheriff Gave it to East Valley Tribune)

  Don Stapley wasn't there, but his case triggered a heated argument in court this morning.Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Larry Grant upbraided the Maricopa County Attorney's Office this morning for allowing the Sheriff's Office to give a sealed deposition to a newspaper repor ... More >>

From the Rumor Mill: Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to Resign

As rumors go -- and this one comes to us from sources inside the Maricopa County Attorney's Office -- it's a doozy. Yet it's not implausible. We're hearing that ambitious County Attorney Andrew Thomas (seen here canoodling with an elderly supporter) is thinking about resigning from office in th ... More >>

Chandler State Senator John Huppenthal Charged With Theft in Campaign Sign Flap

The Maricopa County Attorney's office has charged Arizona State Senator John Huppenthal with misdemeanor theft and altering or destroying political signs. As New Times pointed out when it covered this case last month, Huppenthal claims he had permission from a property owner to remove a political s ... More >>

Inmate Killed in State Prison System; Second Such Case in Four Weeks

Whether the new slayings involve similar breakdowns in security or procedures at the prisons will be answered in investigative reports still being prepared, says Department of Corrections spokesman Nolberto Machiche.

"I Can No Longer Stay Silent": Rick Romley Endorses Tim Nelson for County Attorney

MCSO pays more than $200K in RICO funds for facial recognition tech; large portion intended for "Honduran unit."

Lacey, Larkin receive award

Our Community Under Siege

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

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, June 22, 2006

Welcome to Thomasville!

Some surprising demotions, and a Republican babe at the new County Attorney's Office

Silent Witness

Bishop Thomas O'Brien has a history of covering for pedophile priests and obstructing justice. Has he really repented?

An ID Ahead of Its Time

Bob Hartle toiled to get state and federal identity-theft laws passed; now he's fighting to get them enforced

Targets Beyond The Turf

Will you be next in the line of gang fire?

Prosecutors Change Their Minds

County attorney decides to charge man who allegedly attacked Scottsdale woman

FLASHES

JUVENILE GAMESARE PROSECUTORS CLOGGING THE COURT SYSTEM TO MAKE A POINT?