You can color us very, very surprised.We publicly predicted earlier this morning that Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will oppose Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca Berch’s decision to appoint a “special master” to sort through the craziness in this county.Turns out, we were wrong.In an email, Thomas’ special assistant…
It’s either the most appalling lack of judgment we’ve ever seen — or the most amazing show of confidence in one’s ultimate vindication.Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, who faces 36 felony counts for failing to disclose loans from the nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa, even as that agency received…
A few hunters in the high country had a Stand By Me moment Sunday night, while in the mountains about 50 miles east of Prescott — they found a badly decomposed dead body. Police are trying to identify the body, but given the condition it was in when it was found, the…
We wouldn’t wish this job on our worst enemy.Seeking to somehow manage the chaos that has engulfed the justice system in Maricopa County — what with the county’s presiding criminal court judge facing bizarre charges, a host of judges accused of being part of a “criminal enterprise,” and lawsuits on top…
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge won’t give his opinion to county leadership about those pricey special prosecutors County Attorney Andrew Thomas wants to hire.In a ruling that cuts both parties down to size (but seems to ding Thomas more), Criminal Division Judge Roland Steinle refused to block Thomas from…
It’s not a homerun — much less a grand slam.But considering how frequently Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas have been spanked by both the appellate and Superior courts lately, we suppose today’s opinion issued by the Court of Appeals in Trombi v. Donahoe counts as a victory…
To Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio, local lawyer Edward Novak is a scoundrel — one of several conspirators in a federal racketeering lawsuit the county lawmen filed on December 1. Edward Novak To the state Supreme Court, Ed Novak is a respected master of his profession who should spend…
For women doing any last-minute Christmas shopping, you may want to consider wearing pants next time you’re shopping at the Target in Tempe Marketplace. Tempe police arrested a man that has been walking around the store using a mirror to look up women’s skirts, which is frankly one of the more creative methods of perving we’ve heard…
They got him! The man police believe is the infamous Peoria Pill Bandit is behind bars today, just days after cops increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from $2,000 to $5,000. Police from Glendale and Peoria announced yesterday that they had taken 43-year-old Steven E. Hochuli of Phoenix into custody on one charge…
An estimated 300 people turned out to protest the reign of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in front of the county courthouse today — at least two-thirds of them local attorneys.The noon rally was a surprising show of strength from a profession that generally prefers filing motions to openly agitating…
Glendale Police are investigating an early-morning shooting that left a woman dead, and appealing to the public for help in identifying the woman and finding her assailant. Details are sketchy at this point, but Glendale police officer Karen Gerardo has confirmed police began receiving 911 calls at 5:45 a.m. today, after…
Arguing that there’s no way their client can get fair treatment with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office prosecuting the case against her, attorneys representing Mary Rose Wilcox have filed a motion asking Judge John Leonardo to disqualify the office from further involvement in the case. They also asked Leonardo to…
The infestation of chihuahuas at animal shelters across Maricopa County has been contained.Shelter officials say that because of an “overwhelming response and generosity of the community” all of the adoptable chihuahuas have been scooped up — and just in time for the holidays…
Earlier this year, the county took away the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office ability to represent the board of supervisors — setting up a separate “civil litigation” department that answers to County Manager David Smith instead of County Attorney Andrew Thomas.Now, if a group of defense attorneys have their way, Thomas…
The reward for the Peoria Pill Bandit has been upped from $2,000 to $5,000, because despite having a clear-as-day picture of this guy’s mug, police still can’t track him down.Bandit — if you’re reading — 2K may seem like chump-change but think of all the pills you could get with…
Most trust-building exercises entail things like telling someone a secret or having someone fall backwards as the other person catches him or her. It seems 48-year-old Ronald Gene Olivier is unfamiliar with these approaches, because in attempt to “trust” his girlfriend, he chopped her finger off with a sword. The…
The private attorney who represents the state Attorney General’s office against claims of bribery by the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is also named in the flimsy — but serious — federal racketeering lawsuit launched by the sheriff and county attorney. Image: Wikimedia Commons Yet on Wednesday, the AG’s office advised the Superior Court on how to…
Yesterday, we told you about a man who strangled a rabid bobcat to death after the cat attacked him in the front lawn of his Crown Creek Trail home on Monday.Chuck Norris, eat your heart out, right?…
Last week, Valley Fever posted a story about California animal shelters being overrun with chihuahuas and how shelter officials were pawning off the little pooches to shelters in Arizona.Thanks for nothing, California, because now the chihuahua infestation seems to have found its way into Maricopa County…
The federal racketeering lawsuit filed last week by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio has “fatal defects” and should be dismissed, argue high-profile lawyers named in the suit. The evidence-light racketeering lawsuit claims the Board of Supervisors, top judges and two local lawyers conspired to obstruct justice and hinder a criminal investigation…
The CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa on Wednesday denied some media reports that the agency’s lending division, Prestamos, is a “lender of last resort.” Prestamos is at the center of the criminal indictment of Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. She’s been accused of failing to disclose at least $177,500…
Phoenix police are looking for three people they say robbed a 16-year-old kid on December 10.The unidentified teen was waiting at the bus stop on 7th Street and McDowell when two men walked up to him, held him at knifepoint, and demanded he hand over a silver necklace he was…
