U.S. Courts

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Agrees With Supreme Court Ruling on SB 1070

See also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers See also:SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates Others See also: Opponents of Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law Proclaim Fight is Not Over See also: SB 1070: 10 Memorable Moments in Law's History See also: SB ... More >>

ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070

See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray of HopeSee also: SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates OthersSee also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers As I anticipated in April, when it became clear that the U.S. Supreme Cou ... More >>

The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers

SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates Others

SCOTUSBlog.com is reporting that Section 2(b) of Arizona's immigration law, Senate Bill 1070, has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as not pre-empted by federal immigration law.Of the court's decision, SCOTISBlog writes, "It was improper for the lower courts to enjoin section 2(b), which require ... More >>

SB 1070: Why Obama Is Partly to Blame for the Racist Bill

Andrew Thomas Could Be Hit With $296,000 Bill for Disciplinary Proceedings

Andrew Thomas could be forced to pay $296,300 for the disciplinary proceeding that resulted in his disbarment. A three-member state Supreme Court disciplinary panel decided to disbar the former Maricopa County Attorney and deputy prosecutor Lisa Aubuchon after a lengthy investigation and weeks of h ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer's Lawsuit Against Medical-Marijuana Law Dismissed by Federal Judge

A federal judge today tossed Governor Jan Brewer's lawsuit against the state's Medical Marijuana Act, saying in her ruling that the state's complaint wasn't ripe.U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton dismissed the case without prejudice and invited the state to file an amended complaint to correct the fl ... More >>

Decision in State Bar Disciplinary Case Not Expected Till Spring; Andrew Thomas, Lisa Aubuchon and Rachel Alexander Face Punishment

Image: Arizona Supreme CourtState Bar Disciplinary Judge William O'Neil, the same guy who stopped Andrew Thomas' bogus prosecution of Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe, will now help decide whether Thomas can keep practicing law in Arizona.​ The Arizona State Bar's independent ... More >>

Bradford Lund, Disney Heir, Asks Court to Release Him From State Custody; Son of Developer Bill Lund in Fight Over Fortune

Bradford Lund, heir to an immense Disney fortune and son of local developer Bill Lund, wants a federal judge to fire his state-appointed legal guardian.Lund, his father, and other members of the family have been embroiled in a nasty fight over hundreds of millions of dollars in a trust left to Walt ... More >>

Governor Jan Brewer Appeals SB 1070 Case to Supreme Court

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wants to take SB1070 all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.​ Governor Jan Brewer wants to the U.S. Supreme Court to take a look at Arizona's contested immigration law, SB1070, following the law's shoot-downs in lower courts. "I am hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Cour ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court: Arizona's Employer Sanctions Law A-OK

​In a 5-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has sustained Arizona's employer sanctions law.The law forces employers to check the immigration status of employees, and allows the state to penalize businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

Judge John Roll In Peers' Thoughts At Superior Court Investiture

It was an upbeat event, yesterday's investiture ceremony in downtown Phoenix for incoming Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Douglas Gerlach.The late Judge John Roll​Presiding county judge Norm Davis led the Pledge of Allegiance and Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch adminis ... 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 >>

Andrew Thomas May End Up Disbarred, But He Really Belongs in a Prison Cell

Sidebar: Fantasy Voter Fraud

Pinal County Judge William O'Neil Becomes Arizona's First Presiding Disciplinary Judge

  William O'Neil has been named as the state's first Presiding Disciplinary Judge.​Whuu-chhh!   There's a new Disciplinary Judge in town. And he's looking to break in his whip on the backs of Arizona's worst lawyers. As part of a sweeping change in attorney-discipline ... More >>

Jan Brewer and Dean Martin Can Say Adios to Matching Funds; Supreme Court Rules to Halt Clean Elections -- For Now, Anyway

​The U.S. Supreme Court this morning put a halt to the matching funds portion of Arizona's Clean Elections program.The decision blocks matching funds for publicly funded candidates until the Supreme Court can hear the case -- or unless it ultimately decides not to grant review. That almost certain ... More >>

Sandra Day O'Connor Still on Supreme Court? Many Americans Seem to Think So, Survey Claims

Sandra Day O'Connor: No longer a Supreme Court justice (write that down, America).​If you think former Supreme Court Justice -- and Arizona native -- Sandra Day O'Connor is still a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, you're not alone but you're wrong -- she retired from the bench in 2006. Don't feel ... More >>

Arizona Supreme Court Justice Michael Ryan Announces Retirement; Governor Jan Brewer Will Kinda-Sorta Pick Replacement

www.azcourts.gov Justice Michael Ryan is stepping down from the Arizona Supreme Court.​ Arizona Supreme Court Justice Michael Ryan announced today that he will retire from the bench after serving on the state's high court for eight years.Ryan, 64, is permitted by state law to serve unt ... More >>

Andrew Thomas Bar Complaints to Be Handled by Colorado Official

Image: Colorado Bar Association Colorado legal official John Gleason will examine allegations of misconduct against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.​ To guard against possible conflicts of interest, the Arizona Supreme Court has handed off bar complaints against Maricopa County ... More >>

Racketeering Lawsuit Against County by Thomas and Arpaio is Weak Conspiracy Theory

The first reason why the racketeering lawsuit filed today against county leaders is probably going nowhere: It's being handled by Lisa Aubuchon, the deputy county attorney who has consistently blown politically sensitive cases for Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Under Aubuchon's leadership, ... More >>

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 >>

About John McCain's Lame Rejection of Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court...

Check out Arizona Senator John McCain's stated reasons for his pending no-vote against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. ​ One word that comes to mind is hypocrisy. Here's part of what the defeated 2008 presidential candidate (that's him in the infamous debate photo) on t ... More >>

Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor Called Racist by the Racists

Sonia Sotomayor, a racist? Riiiiiight.... You know it's taken a turn for the surreal when an obnoxious lout like William Gheen is calling you a racist. Gheen is a nasty piece of work, the founder of the extremist nativist Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, which is headquartered in Rale ... More >>

Party Animals

County cranks examine their alcohol-stained agenda

Tucson Extremist Roy Warden's Upcoming "Rally" to "Impeach" AZ Supreme Ruth McGregor

Roy Warden: Este pendejo, indeed...Anti-immigrant nutjob and Mexican flag-burner Roy Warden's coming to town Wednesday, December 10 for a "rally" to "impeach" Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor. Well, supposedly. According to e-mails the wacky Warden's sent out to the state Supreme Co ... More >>

Scant Regard for a Free Press

Federal Judge Dismisses Certain Claims in New Times' Lawsuit Against County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The Case Will Move Forward

Michael Lacey Slams Judge Bolton's Ruling

Federal judge thwarts Wilenchik's delay attempts in massive jail-deaths suit against Arpaio

Siege Mentality

County Attorney Andrew Thomas is attempting to capitalize on a national trend by attacking local judges

Power Play

County law enforcement's attack on the judiciary didn't work, but the war's far from over

Breathtaking Abuse of the Constitution

Joe Arpaio, Andy Thomas and Dennis Wilenchik hit New Times with grand jury subpoenas

Courting Death

U.S. Supreme Court says don't short-change death clients

Reconstruction Ring

Identity Crisis

Court committee considers keeping the names of jurors secret

Judging Stanley

Justice Stanley Feldman has ruled the Arizona legal scene for years. But now he's gone. And Governor Janet Napolitano has some important decisions to make.

The Merry Revolutionary

Clint Bolick is trying to change the world, one lawsuit at at time.

Arson Exclusive

A new note, the Biltmore fire, the U.S. Attorney General

Scrubbed?

Red Hot Chile Paperwork

Custody Battle

Hundreds of inmates in state prisons need special protection from gang paybacks. When officials tried to mix them in with the general-prison population, they filed suit--and won.

MisJudged

U.S. District Court Judge Carl Muecke ruled on the letter of the law, but his liberal views and tough courtroom style made him the judge that conservatives love to hate

Closed Door Policy

A Chilean national's struggle against deportation raises fundamental questions about the constitutional rights of immigrants

Flashes

It's My Courtroom, and I'll Try Like I Want To

His daughter is a gubernatorial confidante. His appointment raised questions of cronyism. But it was Judge Ramon Alvarez's strange behavior in the courtroom that made him a target of misconduct allegations.

Flashes

JUDICIAL INDESCRETIONSCONSERVATIVES PROPOSING NEW LAWS TO STEM FLOOD OF LAWSUITS BY INMATES

O'CONNOR'S COURAGE