Ray Stern

Is Arizona's Zero-Tolerance Stance on Pot and Driving a Load of B.S.?

If you smoked a joint a couple days ago, you are too stoned to drive right now in Arizona.The state's zero-tolerance law on the combination of marijuana-smoking and driving is the subject of this week's cover story by our colleague Ray Stern, a law that's even worse considering the state has a legal ... More >>

Lock and Load, Lunch Lady: Bill for Gun Access in Schools Applies to Any Employee

Shortly after the Newtown, Connecticut massacre of schoolchildren, Attorney General Tom Horne proposed his idea of allowing a school's "principal or another designee" access to a gun on school grounds, in case of an emergency.Now that the bill's been submitted at the Legislature by Republican Repres ... More >>

Feedback from the Thursday, April 26th Issue

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 >>

Dave Hendershott Will Take the 5th in Joel Fox Job Appeal, Says Lawyer; Read Updates on Fox Hearing

​Dave Hendershott, the disgraced former chief deputy under Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, will invoke his right against self-incrimination if asked to testify in the job appeal hearing for fired deputy Joel Fox.Barry Markson, Hendershott's lawyer, told Judge Robert Sparks in the appeal hearin ... More >>

Judge Grants Class Status in Lawsuit to Hispanics Stopped by Arpaio's Deputies, Orders Halt to Human Smuggling Enforcement in Current Form

Image: Ray SternMCSO deputy hassling a Hispanic.​U.S. District G. Murray Snow ruled today that any Hispanic stopped by Sheriff Joe Arpaio's deputies since January 1, 2007 -- or will be stopped in the future -- can sue the sheriff's office in a class-action lawsuit. The ruling in the Melendres rac ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Medical Marijuana Applications Slowing Down; Arizona Nearly to 15,000 Qualified Patients

Photo Illustration: Ray Stern The state of Arizona wants you to have this bud, legally -- why aren't you taking it?​ The rate of Arizonans applying for medical marijuana cards has slowed down in the last couple of months, a stat that could indicate public confusion about pot ... More >>

Can Shamed Former County Attorney Andrew Thomas Kiss His Law License Goodbye?

Court Pool PhotoFormer County Attorney Andrew Thomas will testify again today in the state Bar ethics hearing that could end with his disbarment.​Shamed former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will again today take the stand in the state Bar ethics hearing that could potentially conclude wit ... More >>

Retired Arizona Public Officials Sue to Keep "Hundreds of Millions" in Pension Payouts Being Denied Because of New Law

Image: Ray SternColin Campbell, retired Maricopa County Superior Court judge, is representing a group of retired judges suing a state pension plan in an attempt to reverse a law that shrinks pensioners' cost-of-living adjustments.​ Retired judges are fighting a new law that reduces their pensi ... More >>

Andrew Thomas Mans Up, Says He'll Drop $47 Million Claim; (The Fact That His Case Sucked May Have Played a Role in Decision)

Image: Ray SternAndrew Thomas announced that he's dropping $47 million in claims against the county and state. But, really, he had a great case.​ Former County Attorney Andrew Thomas, having previously submitted $47 million in claims against the state and county, has now apparently decided to ... More >>

James Ray Trial: "Spiritual Warrior's" Attorneys Try to Keep Cult Expert From Testifying at Trial

Ray Stern​"Spiritual Warrior"/snake-oil salesman James Arthur Ray -- accused of manslaughter in the deaths of three participants in a 2009 sweat-lodge ceremony in Sedona -- doesn't want the jury in his upcoming trial to hear what two experts on cult behavior have to say about his "self- ... More >>

Lawsuits by County Officials Vs. County Move to Federal Court

  Image: Ray Stern Maricopa County Supervisors Don Stapley and Mary Rose Wilcox.​A $10 million lawsuit filed by Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley last Thursday against the county will likely end up in federal court. Lawsuits alleging abuse of power, defamation, civil right ... More >>

Camelback Mountain Bees Nail Rock Climbers on Hart Route -- Again

This warning was posted at a local rock gym last year.​ Saturday's bee attack on Camelback Mountain occurred on Hart Route, the notorious spot where a climber died six years ago in a similar incident, a fire department official confirmed today.Several news outlets covered the story over the we ... More >>

Prop 203: Legal Weed Will Be Available Within a Few Months; Rulemaking Process Begins Now

  Image: Ray Stern Will Humble, director of the state Department of Health Services, said today that dispensaries should be selling legal marijuana by this summer or fall​Qualified patients probably will be buying legal marijuana in dispensaries by summer or fall o ... More >>

Long Beach Man, 82, Sentenced to Seven Years in 1987 Manslaughter Case; Killer Caught After 22 Years on the Lam

  Image: Ray Stern Richard Rodgers, a.k.a. Roger Cook, and his defense attorney, John Curry of the Maricopa Legal Defender's Office, await sentencing. Rodgers received a seven-year sentence​An 82-year-old man caught last year for a 1987 murder -- and the central ch ... More >>

Hispanic Republican Candidates Challenging Ed Pastor Offer Opposing Views on 1070

  Image: Ray Stern Joe Penalosa says one reason he wouldn't have signed 1070 because it's not "humane."​Two Republicans running against Democrat Ed Pastor in Congressional District 4 give voters a distinct choice between moderate and extreme right-wing views on immigrat ... More >>

Jimmy Wayne Takes Break From Pretending to be Homeless to Sing Karaoke at Show Low Bar Wearing Pink Tank-Top and Using Name of Candidate for Arizona Corporation Commission

Ray SternJimmy and his RV​Frequent New Times readers may remember Jimmy Wayne, the country music star currently walking from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness for homeless kids.You may also remember that back in February we managed to piss off a few (probably all) of his fans by saying their ... More >>

Arpaio Kicks $40K to New Times, Plus Benjamin Bratt Discusses His New Movie, La Mission, and His Opposition to SB 1070

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, May 27, 2010

Andrew Thomas Resigning April 6 as Maricopa County Attorney to Run for State Attorney General

  Image: Ray Stern Andrew Thomas has decided to resign from office on April 6 and run for state Attorney General. ​ Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will resign from office on April 6 to run for state Attorney General. Thomas' campaign consultant, Jason Rose, issued a news rele ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, December 10, 2009

EPA Sued for Failing to Act on Phoenix Area's Pollution Plan

Lisa Jackson, the head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, has been so focused on saving the world from America's greenhouse gases that she seems to have forgetten about serious pollution in the Phoenix area. Jackson is in Copenhagen this week for the international talks on carbon r ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, October 29, 2009

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, August 20, 2009

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon to Declare Friday "Arizona Cardinals Day"

The Arizona Cardinals are doing so well this year, the city of Phoenix is declaring Friday "Arizona Cardinals Day." Mayor Phil Gordon, dressed for team spirit in a Cardinals jersey, will announce the proclamation at a city council meeting at 2 p.m., says his spokesman, Scott Phelps. Team ... More >>

Arizona Photo Enforcement Saving Lives, State Troopers Say

The blanket of speed cameras on Arizona's freeways and highways has saved three lives a month, according to state estimates. The Department of Public Safety, which runs the state's photo enforcement program, says statistics show a major drop in property damage, injuries and deaths in the Valley ... More >>

CityNorth Development Threatened After Appeals Court Blasts City's Tax Giveaway

The Arizona Court of Appeals today struck down Phoenix's giveaway of $97 million in sales tax that was promised to a developer in exchange for building the Kierland-Commons-like CityNorth center. A few months ago, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Phoenix's be-kind-to-de ... More >>

DMX Extradited to Arizona; Rap Star Fugitive Cooling Off in Maricopa County Jail

Rapper DMX was flown back to Phoenix and booked into the Maricopa County Jail following his brief escapade as a fugitive in Florida. Seen here in his latest booking photo, DMX -- who's real name is Earl Simmons -- looks downright unhappy to be back in the filthy jail run by ... More >>

Could This be in Our Future? Maryland Teens Reportedly Use Photo Enforcement to Pull Pranks

Maryland teens reportedly have found a new use for a speed-camera program launched last year in that state's Montgomery County. According to an online "exclusive" in the Montgomery County Sentinel newspaper, high school students in the area came up with a game called speed-camera "pimpin ... More >>

David Spade Donates $100,000 to Phoenix Police Department for New Rifles

David Spade doesn't forget his roots. The former Valley resident cut a $100,000 check today to fund the purchase of new rifles for the Phoenix Police Department. In a news release, (reprinted below), police say Spade "had been made aware" of a program -- covered in a previous Valley ... More >>

Chemtrails: Strong Competitor for Dumbest Conspiracy Theory Ever

Most conspiracy theories are so ridiculous, it's hard to choose which are the least plausible or which faces the higher mountain of opposing evidence. Some seem within the realm of the possible, such as the ones that surround the assassination of JFK, the Pearl Harbor attack or the murder of Pr ... More >>

School Redistricting Law Screw-up: Judge Says Tolleson-area Proposition Fails

Kids, this is why paying attention to the small details is important. The one school redistricting scheme on the ballot that seemed to have passed in last month's election has been shot down because the state's redistricting law uses the phrase "qualified electors" where it should say "v ... More >>

Chemtrails: Local Guitarist Convinced the Government is Spraying Toxins

Wherever Carole Pellatt goes, she sees "chemtrails" in the sky. The talented local guitarist and rock school director is borderline-obsessed with the debunked conspiracy theory, creating Web page after Web page of pictures showing the criss-cross pattern of jet contrails against a b ... More >>

County Attorney Gets Stiff Sentence For One Child Killer; Indicts Another Man Suspected of Similar Crime

Murdering little kids is one crime that everyone likes to get tough on. That's why it's so satisfying to see the  tough sentence in the case of Christopher Langin, (the loser pictured at left), who beat to death a three-year-old girl with disabilities. With natural life plus 27 year ... More >>

Smuggling Syndicate Crushed in "Operation En Fuego," AG's Office Says

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard will reveal details tomorrow of the break-up of a large smuggling syndicate thanks to the work of several law enforcement agencies (but not the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office). While Sheriff Joe Arpaio was rousting corn vendors and trying to one-up Mesa ... More >>

Scottsdale's Photo Enforcement Tickets Lie About Consequences of Failing to Respond

Here's one way to get people to pay their photo enforcement tickets or waive their right to proper service: Lie. That's what the Scottsdale City Court does in tickets generated from its municipal system, which operates speed and red light cameras. As savvy readers know, especially if they've r ... More >>

State Recycling Programs in Trouble as Economic Slowdown Hits China

Jill McCutcheon, executive director of Sedona Recycles, says the current state of recycling is the biggest Catch-22 she's ever seen. The non-profit northern Arizona company's education division did a stellar job convincing state residents to drop off cardboard goods at 13 sites around the Verde Val ... More >>

State Boosts Water Quality Regulations; Gives Special Status to Fossil Creek

  Beautiful Fossil Creek just northwest of Payson was given the status of "Outstanding Arizona Water" today by state officials, mandating that government must protect it from harm. In a 3-1 vote, the Governor's Regulatory Review Council approved new state water quality standards that prote ... More >>

Red-Light Camera Helps Stick It to Suspected Motorcycle Thief

One in a blue moon, photo enforcement cameras do something other than make a profit off of momentarily careless drivers like Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. One Phoenix red-light camera helped nab a suspected motorcycle thief recently, says the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  

Janet Napolitano's "Friendship" With Sheriff Joe Arpaio Criticized

  Janet Napolitano is catching it from both sides as the national media continues to weigh in on the next likely Homeland Security chief. While conservative pundits like Debbie Schlussel and Michelle Malkin slam Arizona's governor for her actions on renaming Christmas tree ... More >>

Anna Deavere Smith’s The Arizona Project Spotlights Sandra Day O’Connor and a Generation of Overlooked Women

Letters from the issue of Thursday, May 29, 2008

New Times Earns 17 Arizona Press Club awards

Green Fatigue: Is anyone else sick and tired of eco-chic?

Consumer Alert from reporter Ray Stern: LifeLock being sued by credit agency Experian (w/UPDATE).

ACES AND EIGHTS: Appeals court deals Joe Arpaio a losing hand in New Times lawsuit over public docs.

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, December 27, 2007

IN YOUR FACE! FURIOUS PUBLIC BACKLASH FORCES COUNTY ATTORNEY ANDREW THOMAS TO DROP CASE AGAINST NEW TIMES.

Letters From the Issue of Thursday, January 4