Judge Gary Donahoe Prepares to File Legal Claim Against Joe Arpaio, Andrew Thomas and County

In preparation of filing a legal claim, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe is demanding that county officials preserve all evidence related to the investigation against him. A letter from Michael Manning, the local lawyer Donahoe has hired to represent him, states that "it is anticipated that legal action will...

By Ray Stern

March 24, 2010

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In preparation of filing a legal claim, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe is demanding that county officials preserve all evidence related to the investigation against him.

A letter from Michael Manning, the local lawyer Donahoe has hired to represent him, states that "it is anticipated that legal action will follow" the demand. Donahoe's pre-claim comes a week after a notice of claim filed by County Supervisor Don Stapley.

Donahoe was among several county officials named in the bogus racketeering lawsuit filed in December by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas. A week after the lawsuit was filed, Thomas filed a criminal complaint against Donahoe, accusing the judge -- without a grain of evidence -- of taking a bribe and obstructing justice.

Donahoe and Manning know all too well who they're dealing with. The sheriff's office tried to destroy records in a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights abuses, and Donahoe isn't taking any chances. He wants all the documents related to the decisions to investigate and charge him to be set aside.

It's doubtful a clear paper trail exists that would explain the disturbing decisions of Arpaio and Thomas to go after the judge.

Of course, we can always hope.

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Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.