The pivotal moment in Doug Grant’s murder trial came without fanfare. Former Phoenix Suns nutritionist and vitamin-supplement entrepreneur Grant was accused of committing the ultimate crime: the first-degree murder of his wife, Faylene, at their Gilbert home as three of their young children were in another part of the house…
For as long as I can remember, Mexicans were known for doing three things: Drinking lots of cerveza, having lots of niños, and saying “¡Ay, caramba!” While I can vouch for the first two, I’ve never, ever personally heard a Mexican utter those famous two words. Is this an urban…
The juror, a thoughtful woman who teaches art to elementary school children, started dreaming about the case during the trial. “The other jurors and myself were lost in a forest, and we couldn’t find our way back out,” she says. “There was a cabin, and Doug Grant was in there…
TURNING POINT Editors note: After the following comments were lodged, Bryant Wilkerson was acquitted of manslaughter, aggravated assault, and felony endangerment. The jury found Wilkerson guilty of fleeing the scene of an accident he didn’t cause. See Sarah Fenske’s column for coverage. Racist hellhole: Kafkaesque indeed! This story should be…
TRIUMPH IN D.C. The weather was muggy. The cherry blossoms were in bloom. And Sheriff Joe Arpaio was on the agenda on Capitol Hill, in a joint session of two subcommittees of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by California congresswoman and Democrat Zoe Lofgren. Officially, the three-hour session was meant…
We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Valley Fever: McCain Refers to Hispanics as “You People” During Meeting, Says…
Another day, another racial profiling allegation against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. This one comes in the form of a lawsuit filed last month with the county Superior Court: Sheriff’s deputies assumed a Hispanic man jailed for an unpaid traffic ticket was an illegal immigrant and drove him to…
Boos from a two-thirds-empty Chase Field rained down upon the once-beloved Eric Byrnes as he walked to the plate in the fourth inning Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game and series finale 9-2 loss against the Colorado Rockies. Byrnes, who wowed Arizona fans in 2007 after becoming one of only…
Our cover story this last week told you about the unexpected consequences of Arizona’s Clean Elections experiment: a more polarized legislature, a fair amount of gratuitious spending, and dirty tricks aplenty. But one of our sources recently pointed us toward an interesting phenomena potentially related to Clean Elections –…
Senator John McCain grew visibly angry during a discussion about immigration issues with Hispanic business leaders, telling them “you people” made the choice in the presidential election, says a report by the National Journal Magazine. A spokesman for McCain called the accusation a form of “character assassination,” but the alleged quotes from…
Two former executives of the company that owns Checker Auto Parts — both local men — have been charged in a 31-count federal indictment with falsifying reports, lying to an auditor, and other schemes intended to manipulate the company’s reported earnings. Former CSK executives Martin G. Fraser, 53, of Glendale,…
Part one of Sharpton and Lewis vs. TV minuteman Lou Dobbs I don’t know what CNN’s resident nativist Lou Dobbs thought he was doing when he invited the Rev. Al Sharpton and ACORN’s Bertha Lewis on his program yesterday. But suffice it to say that the bottle-blond senior citizen got…
The pair of robbers entered the credit union suddenly, yelling at employees, waving a gun.Police say the robbery of the Sun West Federal Credit Union yesterday was more like Point Break than the average pass-a-note-and-run kind of bank stick-up.But it was also like America’s Dumbest Criminals: The gang took a…
A free pet spay and neuter program by Maricopa County will become more limited this year because of a deluge of customers.The national Big Fix Program is the main source of funds for the service, which is offered by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. The county started the program…
In the “must be nice” category, local public relations guru Jason Rose and his wife, local attorney, Jordan, made the paper this morning with their new home purchase.Topping the list of this week’s priciest home sales in the Arizona Republic’s real estate round-up is the Roses’ acquisition of a $3.4…
If you’re in Mesa today and looking for something to eat, why not stop by a fundraiser for a police family suffering a tragedy?Mesa cops and members of the Fraternal Order of Police will be hosting an event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the FOP Mesa Lodge…
The New York Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs last Saturday, less than 24 hours before the Phoenix Suns were in every way but mathematically terminated by the Dallas Mavericks. Anyone but a Mike D’Antoni/Planet Orange hardcore might see humor in that ironic turn. Probably not Mike D’Antoni himself. He’s a…
Along with spotty defense, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ biggest issue to rectify in the 2009 season is scoring production. Yeah, looks like they should have saved some of Monday’s offensive firepower for last night’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Facing right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) — armed with a fastball that consistently…
ASU sophomore James Harden, the Sun Devils basketball star recently named Pac-10 player of the year, has decided to skip his last two years of college and declare for the NBA draft…Fatality rates on roads in Arizona are at a record low, and officials partially credit the use of seat…
We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Valley Fever: County Attorney Andrew Thomas Smears Judge Timothy Ryan — Again…
Hundreds of people are expected to show up on the State Capitol lawn on April 15 to protest taxation, including Republican Congressman John Shadegg (at left), say organizers of the “Tax Day Tea Party.” The shin-dig, which takes place from 5:30-7 p.m., is being led by American for Prosperity and right-wing…
Phoenix police confirmed on Tuesday that a local photographer was questioned in late March for taking pictures at a transit station — and that such questioning is routine. Following a police memo put out last May, Phoenix security officers have been contacting people observed observed taking pictures at Central Station…
