Arizona Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws Unconstitutional, Says ACLU Lawsuit

The Arizona American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court this morning alleging that Arizona’s Civil Asset Forfeiture laws are unconstitutional. These statutes give law enforcement agencies the power to seize personal property if they suspect it was used in criminal activity, and then either to keep it…

Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley Fail to Address #BlackLivesMatter

During what was intended to be a town hall style discussion featuring two Democratic presidential candidates, quickly shifted gears when two women from the #BlackLivesMatter campaign got up on stage and tried to get former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to address “structural racism” in this…

Former Phoenix Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Minor

Disgraced former Phoenix Police Officer Justin LaClere changed his plea this week and admitted he was guilty of both luring a minor for sexual exploitation and then having sexual intercourse with her. Scottsdale Police arrested 32-year-old LaClere, a seven-year veteran of the force, in January 2014 after receiving information that…

AZ’s Holiday Weekend DUI Stats Weren’t Pretty

The DUI figures for the 4th of July weekend are in, and the results are, well, sobering: 443 people were arrested for a DUI between Friday and Sunday —151 of which had a blood alcohol content of .15 or greater. (To put that in perspective, with a BAC that high,…

Department of Child Safety Audit Report Will Be Released Today

The  long-awaited independent audit of the Department of Child Safety will be made public sometime this morning. It’s unclear what the verdict will be, but if recent statistics and news reports about the downward trends of the agency are any indication, there’s likely to be a lot of constructive criticism…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. To be considered for Mugshots of the Week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest. This week: It’s officially summer! 10) Booked on suspicion…

Karen Finley, Ex-CEO of Redflex, Pleads Guilty to Bribery

Karen Finley, former CEO of the Phoenix-based Redflex Traffic Systems, pleaded guilty today in federal court to an eight-year bribery-and-fraud scheme that helped the company retain photo-enforcement contracts with two Ohio cities. Finley, 55, of Cave Creek, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Terence P. Kemp of the Southern District…

Former Scottsdale Bar Bouncer Arrested for Urinating on Mail

The former head of security for the Rockbar in Scottsdale has been arrested in connection with a June 3 video of a man caught urinating through a mail slot. David Azari, 30, was arrested at 9:25 a.m. on Thursday and booked on suspicion of misdemeanor criminal damage, disorderly conduct, urinating…

Local Vigil for Charleston Shooting Victims to Be Held Friday Morning

Tomorrow morning at the Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Phoenix, prominent civil rights activist Reverend Reginald D. Walton is organizing a multi-faith vigil for the nine victims of last night’s shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. “We cannot idly stand by as one [in] our community is under attack,”…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. To be considered for Mugshots of the Week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest. This week: Too cool 10) Booked on suspicion of:…

Charges Dropped Against Liberian Parents Who Blamed Girl for Rape

All charges have been dropped in the child-abuse case against a Liberian couple who blamed their 8-year-old daughter for being gang-raped. The 2009 Phoenix incident made international headlines and sparked fresh commentary about Liberia’s alleged sub-culture of rape, which evolved during the West African nation’s civil war from 1989 to…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. To be considered for Mugshots of the Week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.  10) Booked on suspicion of: Marijuana PossessionEar gauge PSA…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. To be considered for Mugshots of the Week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.  This week: We start publishing Mugshots on Thursday mornings…

Transit Union “Relieved” Embezzlement Case Is Over; W/UPDATE

An embezzlement case that cost a local labor union more than a quarter-million dollars shows that the organization has a “zero-tolerance” policy for corruption, its officials said. “We’re relieved that the legal process is over and happy that justice has been served,” Bob Bean, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union’s Local…

Former Transit Union Official Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

The former treasurer of the transit union that represents Valley bus and light-rail drivers faces up to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty on Tuesday to embezzling $273,000 from the organization. Richard Wayne Johnson served as secretary/treasurer for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 from April 2005 until he…

Maricopa County Mugshots of the Week: Bad Hair Day 2

At the end of the week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the fun-filled Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix. To be considered for Mugshots of the Week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest. This week: The sequel to our February 2014…