If you’ve read about the latest kerfuffle involving soon-to-be former Mesa Police Chief George Gascon and Sheriff Joe Arpaio — a kerfuffle egged on by the Arizona Republic — then you know it involves a statement made by Arpaio in earshot of William Finnegan, the journo who just profiled Arpaio for The…
Apparently, not even a federal judge and her family are free from the intimidation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his law dogs. I’ve now learned that Judge Mary Murguia’s July 15 order recusing herself in the big Melendres v. Arpaio racial-profiling lawsuit came days after Arpaio’s lawyers in the case subpoenaed Murguia’s sister Janet for…
In a surprise turn of events yesterday in the ongoing racial profiling lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Melendres v. Arpaio), U.S. District Judge Mary Murguia recused herself from the case in response to a motion filed in February by the sheriff’s legal team. The motion claimed that because Murguia’s twin sister…
MURDEROUS INTENT You’d have to have aluminum flowing through your veins not to feel a chill crawl up the back of your neck as you listen to the 911 tape of the Arivaca killings. Weeping, Gina Marie Gonzalez tells the 911 operator that someone has shot both her husband, Raul…
When it comes to left-wing politics here in Ari-bama, liberals can either resign themselves to being doormats for their Republican counterparts or grow a set of dukes and learn to use ’em. Sadly, many local Dems see the wisdom of the welcome mat, including assistant state House minority leader Kyrsten…
I have seen the future of newsprint, and it’s in The Slammer, literally. Indeed, with all the bitching and moaning in the bloody Fourth Estate about layoffs, the Web, and the end of newsprint, here’s a weekly newspaper that appears to be thriving at a dollar a pop, for sale in…
Our Republican Gov. Jan Brewer has effectively banned abortion for 24 hours with the stroke of her pen. Where are the Arizona Democrats? Asleep somewhere, dreaming of Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama gamboling in a field of poppies. And I don’t see any sign that they’ll be waking up any time…
Gilman’s vid, reposted by naui… As I mentioned in my blog post Monday on British Holocaust denier David Irving’s recent book signing party at Jerry’s Restaurant, Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman was present and covered the local anarchist protest of the event. I promised to post his video when it was…
Loads of reporters have parachuted into Phoenix over the years to write up our power-mad top constable Sheriff Joe, and often they’ve told the easy story of the flamboyant law man who talks like a mafioso and treats county inmates worse than the hounds in his kennels. Thankfully, the New Yorker’s Bill…
You know your career as a historian has hit a new low when you’re hawking books out the back of a Phoenix diner better known for its hash browns than its literary events. This is the best the infamous British Holocaust denier David Irving can do these days, reserving the back…
Janet Napolitano’s Department of Homeland Security has just issued a press release announcing new, standardized 287(g) agreements that all law enforcement agencies participating in the program will have to sign, including Sheriff Joe’s MCSO, which boasts a massive 160-man 287(g)-trained force, the largest in the nation. “DHS and ICE will…
Remember just a couple of months ago, when Sheriff Joe was saying he “welcomed” a Justice Department probe into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, telling the press he intended to cooperate fully with any investigation, and saying explicitly that, “We have nothing to hide”? Now Joe’s squirming like a stuck…
These uber right wing Tea Parties continue to be a magnet for extremists and crazy folk of all stripes. Though I wasn’t able to make the recent hate-Obama rally that took place July 4 at the Arizona state Capitol, I have since discovered from info provided from some pals that…
The Norwegian video interview of Shawna Forde and a fella by the name of Todd Hezlitt Someone recently sent me a link to the blog Immigration Talk with a Mexican American, which in turn links to the blog Crooks & Liars and a Norwegian news video featuring the infamous Shawna…
Dennis Gilman asks the timely question: Which racist nativist will pop off next? My June 22 post last week on alleged kid-killer and minutewoman Shawna Forde received a number of comments from the immigrant-bashing side of the argument accusing me of painting their prejudiced movement with too broad of a brush…
Friday morning, I dropped by the offices of U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa to attend a news conference announcing the indictment of identical twin white supremacists Dennis and Daniel Mahon for their alleged role in a 2004 mail bombing that injured three Scottsdale city workers, including Donald Logan, the city’s Director of Diversity and Dialogue…
President Obama’s remarks after the White House immigration summit today While it was gratifying to see President Barack Obama’s much-delayed summit on immigration take place today, and for the President to declare after the meeting that, “My administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform,” the message…
Phoenix civil liberties activist Fronzo West is currently doing time in the Maricopa County jail for exercising his freedom of speech rights as enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Folks like to say we have freedom of speech in this country, and in theory, we do. But…
GRANVILLE’S ANVIL Last year, when I was writing about Arizona prisoner Courtney Bisbee and her fight for freedom, in the cover story “Nursing Injustice,” I spoke with Judge Warren Granville by phone and wondered whether, when the case came back to him, he would be able to admit that he’d…
After reporting earlier this year on the slow, painful collapse of progressive radio with the implosion of left-wing network Nova M here in Phoenix and the padlocking of its short-lived replacement at 1190 AM, I’ve been deluged with phone calls and e-mails from loyal listeners of the lefty airwaves, asking…
Just when you thought our gun-lovin’ legislature had gone as far over the deep end into Mad Max territory as possible, our lawmakers up and make gun ownership mandatory for all lads and ladies 21 and above. Okay, so not explicitly, but under the bills proposed by the legislature’s firearm freaks, you’d better…
A Petri dish of right wing insanity and goofiness. That was my impression of the April 15 Tea Party that took place on the grounds of the Arizona state capitol and drew thousands in a mass fit of anti-Obama rage. Sure, not everyone there was a complete moon-howling loon. (After all,…
