Shamelessness must be a requirement to work for Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Just hours before the second round in Arpaio’s contempt trial was set to begin Thursday morning in federal court, his attorney John Masterson (one of several) submitted a motion to block “any inquiry during the continued contempt proceedings regarding the…
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced today that it is formally charging Leslie Allen Merritt jr. with 16 counts of criminal activity in association with a series of shootings primarily on Interstate 10 in Phoenix during the last few weeks. His charges include four counts of drive-by shooting, five counts…
The Phoenix Police Department received more than $600,000 in federal grant money this week to double the number body cameras on officers — there are currently about 150 cops wearing cameras in the Maryvale precinct, and with the new money, 150 more cameras will be distributed throughout the city, bringing…
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has decided not to investigate a complaint it received from the group trying to recall state Superintendent of Education Diane Douglas. Leaders of the Coalition to Recall Diane Douglas filed their complaint on September 8 after learning about an e-mail Douglas’ chief of staff, Michael Bradley,…
Citing climate change as a “socialist talk point,” Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar announced that he will be boycott Pope Francis’ speech to a joint session of Congress later this week. His office claimed he won’t be the only one. “Several House colleagues spoke to Congressman Gosar last Friday in support…
Recently released excerpts of depositions of Joe Arpaio’s ex-attorney, Tim Casey, and others in the sheriff’s ongoing contempt case point to possible perjury by Arpaio and his chief deputy, Jerry Sheridan, during their April testimony in federal court. The excerpts, made public as part of the court record, also confirm…
The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch for much of Arizona — including Maricopa County — because of a northward-moving storm system that’s predicted to unleash heavy rains today and Tuesday. The tropical cyclone is making its way across northern Mexico and is expected to hit the Valley…
Next time you catch John Boorman’s classic 1972 film Deliverance, Phoenix lawyer Dennis Wilenchik may come to mind. Particularly during the notorious “squeal like a pig” scene, when a character played by Ned Beatty is raped by a Georgia redneck and made to crawl on all fours. Earlier this year, the pugnacious,…
Amid an outcry on social media that Arizona Governor Doug Ducey jumped the gun by announcing law enforcement had caught the I-10 shooter, the suspect, 21-year-old Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., claimed innocence during a court hearing earlier today. “All I have to say is that I’m the wrong guy,” he…
The Arizona Department of Public Safety announced this evening that it had arrested 21 year-old Leslie Allen Merritt, Jr., alleging he was the man responsible for at least some of the recent shootings of vehicles along the I-10 in Phoenix. Speaking at a press conference this evening, flanked by U.S. Marshal…
The Phoenix Police Department’s Use of Force Board has decided that the officer who fatally shot Michelle Cusseaux outside of her apartment last summer, Sergeant Percy Dupra, was in violation of department policy. The findings of the board, which is comprised of three citizens and three officers, runs contrary to…
A former marine sniper who suffers from mental illness is suing for $15 million after being run over in front of the Carl Hayden VA Medical Center two years ago following his discharge fr om the facility. Jason Cooper, 41, a California man who served in the Marine Corps for…
After threatening to shut down Planned Parenthood for months, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills Friday morning freezing its federal funding for one year. The 241-187 vote split almost perfectly down party lines, with only two Democrats voting in favor of the measures and three Republicans voting against them…
A student advocate group for veterans is insisting that the University of Phoenix drop sponsorship of its namesake stadium in Glendale and spend the millions of dollars on educating students. The outcry comes at a time when the institution is under substantial scrutiny regarding allegations of predatory recruitment tactics, staggering tuition rates,…
Twitter users this week were quick to call out Arizona Senator John McCain for his statements about the Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of the Animas River spill during a meeting of the bi-partisan Indian Affair sub-committee. “Don’t even try to say you care…you hypocrite,” one user wrote. “If you really…
The cry to halt “anchor baby” births is clambering toward fever pitch among Republican presidential hopefuls. But, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis, the issue isn’t as urgent as Donald Trump and company would like Americans to believe. Researchers estimate the number of babies born to undocumented immigrants…
A campaign to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older in Arizona has picked up 75,000 signatures already, an achievement that makes the proposal ever more likely to appear on the state’s 2016 ballot. J.P. Holyoak, chair of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, says today that his group…
A lively crowd attended the Arizona Republican Party’s presidential debate viewing party last night in Scottsdale and concluded, as one man said towards the end of the night put it: “The biggest loser tonight is Hilary Clinton because she can’t win against any of these candidates.” And, in fact, even…
The federal government is making shooting up the desert harder and harder to do. The latest loss to Arizona target shooters is a portion of the Sonoran Desert National Monument just southwest of metro Phoenix. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, acting on a court order from March, this week…
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee will take its turn diving into the politically messy and highly controversial Planned Parenthood debate. In a hearing Thursday afternoon titled “Protecting Infants: Ending Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers Who Violate the Law,” the committee will discuss bolstering two…
The Arizona Cardinals’ profitability increased 54 percent in 2015 under the direction of successful Head Coach Bruce Arians — proof that winning ways generate bigger bucks. The NFL team’s value, which had hovered between $800 million and $1 billion for the past decade, jumped to $1.54 billion this year, landing…
Three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi won’t be on the court when the Phoenix Mercury heads to the playoffs today, but she still plans to help fill the stadium. Taurasi purchased 333 seats for every Mercury home game and will have them passed out to fans on a first-come-first-serve basis. The…
