Judge Jose Padilla says he was racially profiled twice before traffic stops

When Jose Padilla hears about the latest local police “sweep” against Latinos who may be in this country illegally, he flashes back to his hometown of Brownsville, Texas, and “Operation Wetback.” “I can remember the people running from the police yelling ‘Migra! Migra!” says Padilla, referring to the Spanish term…

Fixed-gear fanaticism rolls into the PHX

It’s nearly midnight on a Saturday in late May, and 50 strong are lined up behind the waist-high brick wall surrounding the Marquee Theatre’s parking lot in Tempe. To the few motorists rolling past the Mill Avenue venue, it could be a post-concert crowd gathering after a Vampire Weekend or…

Gorenter Founder Mark Bosworth Accused of Ripping Off Investors

By Ray Stern The Arizona Corporation Commission is jumping on Mark Bosworth, the former self-proclaimed real estate “guru” whose troubles were documented in a May feature article in New Times. In this July 3 “Notice of Opportunity for Hearing,” the commission says Bosworth and three of his employees ripped off…

“Felon-Hunting” Web Site Actually a Grand Goof

By Paul Rubin For the record, we subscribe to the time-worn journalistic adage that information is power, and we also love to check up on people we have in our sights–or not. So when a buddy from Virginia who works in the security industry forwarded us the link to Felonspy.com,…

In Your Own Words:

Compiled by Jonathan McNamara On: $5 Million (and counting) to Jail “Human Cargo” of Smugglers Under AZ Law “Aren’t conservatives the ones who want to put people to death because they (incorrectly) think it saves money? Yet they’re willing to spend $5 million to lock up dishwashers and people that…

Hot Links: MCSO, Dan Saban, Warren Jeffs and Matt Barnes

By Stephen Lemons The MCSO claims its budget woes are over. Will that mean Chief Deputy David Hendershott’s flying first class to China and Honduras from now on? Dan Saban says he’ll ditch human smuggling unit as Sheriff. We hope he gets the chance. Warren Jeffs catches charges of felony…

Who Pooed in the Pool?

By Ray Stern All 29 public pools in Phoenix were open again today following last week’s parasite scare, but parks workers still weren’t quite sure how the bug found its way into the water. Only one thing seems certain: It was no Baby Ruth, the candy bar from the famous…

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Deputy Sued Over Mesa Mom’s Tragic Death

By Sarah Fenske The family of a 46-year-old Mesa woman is suing Sheriff Joe Arpaio over the head-on collision that caused her death last June. Nanuma Lavulavu was killed when Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Robin Kinnett lost control of his SUV and crashed into her car. As the lawsuit alleges,…

Did state Representative Russell Pearce ever beat his wife LuAnne?

Russell Pearce “is possessed of a violent temper,” according to a 1980 court document signed by his wife LuAnne. That old example of a loaded question, “So, when did you stop beating your wife?” seems weirdly applicable in Valley political circles these days. First, there’s the June 26 incident involving…

Silent Witness flak tries to silence news media

By Ray Stern The voice of the young girl on television, the screen showing only her socked feet, rivets the viewer to her story. The Phoenix 12-year-old had been attacked in broad daylight while walking to a friend’s house, her pants pulled down by a brazen pervert who was subsequently…

Lappy Hour at Duck and Decanter

By Jonathan McNamara Humans networked over drinks while their canine counterparts followed suit at Duck and Decanter yesterday. Jason (left) and Jake brought two rescued dogs to find them new homes. Called “Lappy Hour,” the event comprises half meet-and-greet, half pet adoption with the support of local animal placement agency…

$5 million (and counting) to jail “human cargo” of smugglers under AZ law

Associated Press photo Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas boasted at a press conference this week that his office has now prosecuted 750 people under the state’s two-year-old human-smuggling law. Against the wishes of the very lawmakers who wrote the law, Thomas has mostly convicted the “human cargo” of smugglers (as…

Feedback from the issue of Thursday, July 17, 2008

COURTHOUSE SHENANIGANS State Bar already seems to be caving: Sarah Fenske’s article on the Maricopa County Attorney’s legal shenanigans to cover his own ass was excellent (“Andrew Thomas’ War,” June 26). The brazen extent to which this ambitious little prick will go consistently blows my mind! That Thomas would ask…