The Sheriff Strikes Back!

I really don’t know what to make of this. Apparently the Judge who recently found Maricopa Deputy Adam Stoddard in con­tempt of court, and ordered him to report to jail, has been charged with three felony counts by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

But today’s announce­ment that Donahoe now faces felony charges — when the only evi­dence of “wrong­do­ing” on the judge’s part is a series of rul­ings that Thomas and Arpaio vehe­mently dis­agree with — is unprece­dented even in Maricopa County.

Donahoe also is the same judge who ordered deten­tion offi­cer Adam Stoddard to jail last week for swip­ing a defense attorney’s notes — draw­ing Sheriff Joe’s ire.

Even the Valley’s usu­ally com­pli­ant press corps seemed incred­u­lous with the announce­ment of crim­i­nal charges against the highly respected Donahoe, who is retir­ing from the bench in the near future.

Read the whole Phoenix New Times arti­cle here. Please remem­ber, in the inter­est of fair­ness, the Phoenix New Times and Sheriff Joe Arpaio DO NOT get along.
What do YOU think? Coincidence, or some­thing more? All I know is if Joe Arpaio runs for Governor (and he’d win, have no doubts), it could seri­ously change the polit­i­cal cli­mate in Arizona — and in a lot of ways, prob­a­bly for the better.