Friday, September 10, 2010

The Justice Department in the court versus Arpaio, notorious lawman

Many are actually worried about The Grand Canyon State. They have been deliberating in the state. The concern over SB1070, that allows authorities to verify the immigration status of anyone they think might be illegal, is still unsettled, as the Obama administration has questioned the constitutional grounds of the law, which Governor Jan Brewer has decried. The Justice Department has decided to sue Sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, raging on the Grand Canyon State and government feud. The Justice Department says that Sheriff Joe Arpaio has not cooperated with an investigation of civil rights abuses.

Sheriff Joe suspected of discrimination

Sheriff Joe Arpaio was supposedly trying to “sweep” illegal immigrants by targeting only Hispanics which is why the investigation started. The Maricopa County deputies were expected by the Sheriff to go to seriously Hispanic areas. The Los Angeles Times reports these deputies were designed to stop everybody for minor things. Deputies were supposed to check immigration status when there. This practice has been carried out since before the controversial Arizona immigration law was proposed. Sheriff Arpaio didn’t comply when asked by the Justice Department to give documentation of these sweeps. Allegedly, he denied federal investigators access to buildings and refused to hand over requested material.

Lawsuits are expected

Lawsuits have been seen by the Maricopa Sheriff already. It has happened many times. Numerous have passed away in his jail they call “Tent City” which has caused him to be sued multiple times. It is called tent city because it is an area within the desert surrounded by barbed wire fences that has tents in it. ABC explains that an investigation because of corruption is being done by the grand jury for Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The Office got the request for materials and paperwork through a year ago. This originated from the Justice Department. All the documents about these sweeps were found by a federal judge to be wrecked. The attorneys suing the Sheriff’s Office had each and every right to view the documents.

More on this topic

ABC News

blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/justice-department-sues-arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio.html

LA Times

latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lawsuit-arpaio-20100903,,2874529.story



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