One major difference between the old and new lawsuits against Maricopa County by a retired judge and current County Supervisor is this name:Peter Spaw.Spaw, a deputy prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office since 2000, was a key figure in the 2009 federal racketeering complaint against county officials that got…
Israeli citizen and former high-living real estate investor Eitan Maximov was found guilty in a jury trial yesterday for his role in a “cash-back” mortgage-fraud scheme.He stands to get between 14 and 17.5 years in prison at his sentencing hearing, scheduled for February 27 before U.S. District Judge David G…
If Jose Arnulfo Leyva had a hammer, he’d hammer in the evening — on your car, or possibly you. So say police, anyway.Cops say Leyva, 28, did have a hammer last night just after 10 p.m. when he stalked a Mesa street, “stepping out in front of cars” as he…
A Valley bail-bond company says it has denied an offer to write a bond for Jerice Hunter because her daughter is still missing and the bond amount is too low. The operators of Regulator Bail Bonds, Inc., tweeted and Facebooked their displeasure last night, urging the state’s other bail-bond companies to follow…
[jump] Cops witnessed Watson driving recklessly near Prescott College on Grove Avenue before pulling her over, says the report. Once out of the vehicle, she began dropping f-bombs and screaming at the officers, then resisted their efforst to cuff her, kneeing one officer in the groin as he grabbed her…
She’s been shot in the butt.Criticized for questionable deals.Indicted twice by a grand jury — only to see her charges dropped and her accuser face potential disbarment.But Mary Rose Wilcox, one of five members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors since being elected in 1992, isn’t giving up her…
All charges have been dropped from September’s high-profile bust by the Drug Enforcement Agency of a Tempe medical marijuana clinic.The DEA arrested James Chaney and Rachel Beeder of Arizona Go Green Co-Op on September 29 following a morning raid on the clinic and Chaney’s Phoenix home. About 60 or 70…
Christmas came early this year, I thought to myself, as Jerry Lewis, the man who played David to ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce’s Goliath in the Legislative District 18 recall, was sworn in this afternoon on the Senate floor by Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch.Yep, Christmas. And…
Phoenix Mayor-elect Greg Stanton has assembled a 24-person team of community and business leaders to help him put together a staff of policy advisers for the Mayor’s Office.Stanton has tapped individuals from Phoenix’s LGBT and minority communities with backgrounds in business, arts, education and social services. They’re all volunteering to…
Lots of talk in Sportsland about the hiring today in Tucson of Rich Rodriguez as the Arizona Wildcats’ next head football coach. Price tag: 5-year deal for $9.55 million. Nice work if you can get it, huh? ixed bag of opinions about the hiring from what we’ve heard so far, in…
Current and former Maricopa County officials have filed new, streamlined complaints against the county and Sheriff Joe Arpaio to comply with a judge’s order. Filing anew are: County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and her husband, Earl; County Supervisor Don Stapley; retired Superior Court Judges Barbara Mundell and Gary Donahoe; deputy…
Glendale police announced yesterday that they don’t expect to find missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley alive, and now we know why: it appears her mother, Jerice Hunter, who was arrested yesterday on child abuse charges “directly related to the disappearance,” beat the girl weeks before she was ever reported missing. She…
Qikai “Ben” Chen, a former math teacher for Basis Charter School in Scottsdale, received one year of probation for allegedly bashing the face of his boyfriend’s 6-year-old into a door hinge. We say “allegedly” because Chen was never convicted of the felony count of child abuse for which police thought…
As Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio stands by his hawkish approach to solving the illegal immigration problem, Scottsdale Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, the man who hopes to put an end to Arpaio’s reign, has come out in favor of a more moderate approach to immigration reform.Stauffer, a life-long Republican who’s running…
Congratulations to the New Times reader who goes by the handle Bnbk, you are the proud winner of this week’s New Times You Write the Caption contest.On Friday, we asked readers to provide what they think would be an appropriate caption for the above photo of presidential candidate Herman Cain…
Scottsdale defense attorney David Appleton fatally shot a father of three during an apparent road-rage incident earlier this month. Yesterday, we learned that the second-degree murder charge against him has been dropped — for now.”We’ve asked the Scottsdale Police Department for some additional investigation before making a final charging decision,”…
The second-degree murder charge against David Appleton, a Scottsdale defense attorney who fatally shot a motorist during an apparent road-rage incident earlier this month, has been dropped, the County Attorney’s Office confirms to New Times. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually be charged with a crime.”We’ve asked the Scottsdale…
The Glendale Police Department confirmed this afternoon that Jerice Hunter, the mother of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley, has been arrested for child abuse “directly related” to the disappearance of her daughter. Additionally, Glendale Sergeant Brent Coombs says, it’s unlikely the girl will be found alive.”With the information that has come…
Earlier this month, Maricopa County moved at lightning speed to turn over documents to a newspaper about a fired sheriff’s deputy.Now, county officials are taking their sweet time to release records related to the discipline of the fall guy (or gal) who handed over those deputy documents. Part of our…
David Palacios “El Gatillero,” one of Phoenix’s favorite Spanish-language radio personalities, is celebrating his 13-year anniversary of being on the Valley’s airwaves. “El” Gatillero” has been entertaining the Hispanic community in Phoenix on La Nueva 105.9, which airs from Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.He’s marking the event…
A teacher accused of feeling up two female students will not be charged with any crimes, the Maricopa County Superior Court announced this morning.However, the County Attorney’s Office can still file charges against Thomas Weaver — evidence permitting, that is. Jerry Cobb, a spokesman for the MCAO, says his office…
Dennis Erickson, the veteran head football coach at Arizona State University, collects $1,275,000 in salary each year, plus whatever else he pulls in from endorsements and what have you. For this remarkable sum, Sun Devils’ fans have gotten a consistent product in this, the fifth season of the Erickson Era –…
