Sean Holstege

Sean Holstege is a former editor of Phoenix New Times. He’s been a print news reporter for 35 years. He was an investigative reporter at The Arizona Republic and the Oakland Tribune. He won a Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative reporting. He’s covered transportation, terrorism, the border, disasters, child welfare, courts, and breaking news.

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Sheriff Joe Takes Show on the Road: ACLU Awaits Arpaio in Fresno

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 29, 2017

As court decision looms next week, the former lawman basks in the cheers and jeers at fundraiser in Fresno, California.

Court Says Joe Arpaio’s Legacy of Racial Bias Lives on Among 35 Deputies

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 27, 2017

New Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone agrees, but what to do with them is the problem.

DOJ Lawyers: Vacating Joe Arpaio Verdict Would Not Wipe His Record Clean

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 21, 2017

Federal prosecutors say “expungement is an extraordinary measure appropriate ‘only in extreme circumstances.'”

The Power of a Presidential Pardon Is on Trial Even More Than Arpaio

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 15, 2017

The key remaining dispute centers on whether the entire case and all its findings should be wiped clean, along with Arpaio’s conviction.

ACLU Joins the Arpaio Fray: By Accepting Pardon, He Acknowledged Guilt

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 13, 2017

Civil rights group joins long line of activists and lawyers taking one last shot at Sheriff Joe

What’s Next for Joe Arpaio? We’ve Got the Questions and the Answers

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 13, 2017

What you need to know about the future legal actions against former sheriff Joe Arpaio and when, if ever, will his case be over.

Is Maricopa County Rounding Up Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Old Posses?

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 8, 2017

New Sheriff Paul Penzone has appointed a citizen advisory committee to study what to do with civilian volunteers.

Meet the MCSO’s Terrible Ten From Operation Purge

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 4, 2017

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has been plagued by a backlog of warrants.

Arizona Has Gas: Shortages Caused by Hurricane Harvey Not Felt in the PHX

By Sean HolstegeSeptember 1, 2017

The state does not rely on pipelines from Texas; we’re expecting one of the lowest price hikes in the country this weekend.

Watch as Protesters Hurl Objects at Phoenix PD: But Who Started It?

By Sean HolstegeAugust 31, 2017

Phoenix Police Department put together a 13-minute video compilation of the events following the Donald Trump rally, but acknowledge that it is not definitive as to what happened that night.

Phoenix Was No Charlottesville, but a Peaceful Trump Rally Still Ends in Chaos

By Sean HolstegeAugust 23, 2017

A relatively peaceful evening got a bit out of control after the president’s speech Tuesday night.

Trump in Phoenix: President Unleashes Fire and Fury at Media, Democrats, McCain, and Flake

By Antonia Noori Farzan and OthersAugust 23, 2017

Phoenix New Times brings you the latest update on President Donald Trump’s visit to the Valley of the Sun.

Here Comes the Traveling Trump Show and All Its Baggage: Is Phoenix Ready?

By Sean HolstegeAugust 22, 2017

Charlottesville, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the president’s antipathy toward Arizona’s two Republican senators … it all promises to create an emotionally charge scene here … and law-enforcement officials say they are well-prepared.

Indian School/I-17 Overpass Closing Tonight as ADOT Installs Wrong-Way Detectors

By Sean HolstegeAugust 18, 2017

There have been 69 such accidents in the state already this year; off and on ramps also will be shut down until noon Saturday.

Teens Plead Guilty to Turning Menorah Into Swastika in Chandler

By Sean HolstegeAugust 17, 2017

County Attorney Bill Montgomery sees incident as an opportunity “to engage in the process of teaching civic virtue to each succeeding generation and the meaning of what it is to be an American.”

Judge: D-backs Must Honor Contract, Go to Arbitration in Chase Field Dispute

By Sean HolstegeAugust 17, 2017

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Karen Mullins ruled the Diamondback’s lawsuit to break 30-year lease is invalid and the dispute with the county over Chase Field must follow the contract and be settled with arbitration.

DNA and Missing Evidence Are at the Heart of a 24-Year-Old Cold-Case Murder in Mesa

By Sean HolstegeAugust 16, 2017

In 1993, Debra Shipton was hogtied, shot, and killed in her bed, then her Mesa apartment was torched to conceal evidence of the crime. Prosecutors believe they have a strong case against the suspect, but evidence has gone missing and they will have to rely on DNA science.

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