# DoJ sues Sheriff Arpaio for civil-rights abuses **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 11, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586 "2012-05-11T04:14:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/61 "2012-05-15T19:08:09Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [Thomas Aubuchon Alexander - Opinion | PDF | Virtue | Government Information](http://www.scribd.com/doc/88738575/Thomas-Aubuchon-Alexander-opinion) > > Bricker, kindly read this. Take a note of where it says Sheriff Joe ordered various things. > Tell us what you think. (The pit thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651579&page=4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651579&page=4) has a longer series of quotes, but I’m not going to clone my thoughts here. ) > It pretty firmly concluded he used the powers of his office to harrass political and legal rivals. As in, you know, setting judges up to be arrested on completely baseless grounds for bribery. That is a 246 page document relating to attorney discipline cases against then Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and two lawyers in his office, apparently arising from acts during his time as County Attorney. A search for the word Arpaio produced numerous results. I scanned a couple, but maybe you could help by directing my attention to the page or pages you feel best make the point you’re making? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/62 "2012-05-15T19:22:31Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That is a 246 page document relating to attorney discipline cases against then Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and two lawyers in his office, apparently arising from acts during his time as County Attorney. > > A search for the word Arpaio produced numerous results. I scanned a couple, but maybe you could help by directing my attention to the page or pages you feel best make the point you’re making? OK, I looked at the citations in the GD thread. So this is not a finding of the disciplinary board, but rather a statement of charges, against which the respondents will presumably have the chance to offer rebuttal evidence? And those respondants don’t include Arpaio himself, as he’s not a lawyer and not subject to the disciplinary process? There are numerous problems with treating these as evidence of criminal violations. For example, you say he caused a judge to be arrested on completely baseless charges of bribery. But was there a warrant for the arrest? Yes. Was the arrest legal? Yes. There seems to be unanimity that the charges could not be proved in court. However, this does not create a crime. As long as there was probable cause to arrest, the arrest is legal. What specific crime are you alleging here, and where is the evidence for it? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/63 "2012-05-15T19:58:14Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > OK, I looked at the citations in the GD thread. > > So this is not a finding of the disciplinary board, but rather a statement of charges, against which the respondents will presumably have the chance to offer rebuttal evidence? And those respondants don’t include Arpaio himself, as he’s not a lawyer and not subject to the disciplinary process? Moved to GD. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/64 "2012-05-15T20:20:33Z")
Ahem. I replied to Bricker’s statement in GD. Suffice it to say, that he is categorically and one hundred percent wrong about it being a statement of charges. It is the finding of the disciplinary board. Three judges, united, wrote this. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/65 "2012-05-15T21:46:16Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [More details.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/justice-department-joe-arpaio-lawsuit_n_1507098.html?ref=politics) Arpaio’s record is a whole lot more disturbing than I realized. > [@SteveG1](#): > > Yes it is. His entire “tenure” has been one long and nevetr ending stream of abuse of power and corruption. He belongs in one of his pink jump suits. Reading the linnk, it’s not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. It’s not _good_, but these are exactly the kind of examples that can be passed ff as being done by “overzealous” officers. The Feds better have a whole lot more, and they’ll need to show a level of tolerance or even encouragement by the senior management, of such actions or the suit will be laughed out of court. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/66 "2012-11-26T01:34:17Z")
Well, Arpaio [won re-election,](http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-arizona-sheriff-arpaio-wins-sixth-term-073445881.html) anyway. ---
**Author:** ![chloes1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@chloes1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chloes1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/67 "2012-11-27T06:14:44Z")
Fucking unbelievable… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/68 "2012-11-27T14:20:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, Arpaio [won re-election,](http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-arizona-sheriff-arpaio-wins-sixth-term-073445881.html) anyway. If the article itself doesn’t depress you enough, read the comments! ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/69 "2012-11-27T14:49:54Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I would just like to say that Texas uses similar tactics apparently, the article mentions cases of US citizens arrested for not carrying ID. Can the motherfucking supreme court just spell this out finally please?! > > I used to not carry ID if I was on foot in Texas for political reasons(I believed it was my constitutional right not to carry ID) and while I was never arrested for it(probably because I have a US accent despite always being identified as hispanic) two police officers told me point blank that they believed it was ILLEGAL not to have government ID and they could arrest for it. I was once walking at night when a police car pulled and asked for ID, when I answered no there was back and forth and the officer backed off. > > Others weren’t so lucky in Houston and Dallas, it was a hot topic on a biking forum for the area. I’m no lawyer, but as far as I know, there is no requirement **anywhere** in the United States to carry a government issued identification card. Some states have what are known as “[stop and identify](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes)” laws, but I believe even then, you are only obliged to identify yourself if you are being detained as part of a "[Terry stop](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_stop). There’s an interesting [video on Youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMjMPlXzdA) regarding your rights during an encounter with police. I’d suggest any American watch that video. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/70 "2012-11-27T15:01:09Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > I’m no lawyer, but as far as I know, there is no requirement **anywhere** in the United States to carry a government issued identification card. Some states have what are known as “[stop and identify](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes)” laws, but I believe even then, you are only obliged to identify yourself if you are being detained as part of a "[Terry stop](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_stop). > > There’s an interesting [video on Youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMjMPlXzdA) regarding your rights during an encounter with police. I’d suggest any American watch that video. From the article **grude** mentioned: > [@](#): > > In one case, a Latina who is a U.S. citizen and was five months pregnant was stopped after she pulled into her driveway. She alleges that when she refused an order to sit on the hood of the car, she was slammed stomach-first three times onto the vehicle. Deputies next dragged her to a patrol car and locked her inside for 30 minutes without air conditioning, she said. She was cited for not providing identification. She was driving, which when done without identification is a crime, and the Supreme Court is fine with that state of affairs. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/71 "2012-11-27T15:19:11Z")
Probably a CASA volunteer on her way to corrupt our voting rights, with anchor baby on board. ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/72 "2012-11-27T15:30:49Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > From the article **grude** mentioned: > > She was driving, which when done without identification is a crime, and the Supreme Court is fine with that state of affairs. Driving is a different beast, for sure. Poor choice of words on my part. But then again, driving is not considered a right. You have to prove you have the license. But for just walking down the street, I believe that simply providing your name and town of residence is usually enough, and then, only required if you’re actually being detained. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/73 "2012-11-27T15:32:12Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > Driving is a different beast, for sure. Poor choice of words on my part. But then again, driving is not considered a right. You have to prove you have the license. But for just walking down the street, I believe that simply providing your name and town of residence is usually enough, and then, only required if you’re actually being detained. Correct. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/74 "2012-11-27T18:19:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I appreciate the sad import of [their failure to bring Wall Street to justice,](http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/06/why-can-t-obama-bring-wall-street-to-justice.html) indeed I do, but at least the DoJ under this Admin can do [**something**](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-justice-sheriff-20120511,0,158798.story) right! 🙂 > > ‘Bout fuckin’ time! Suck it, Joe! I just wish they could find some way to make it a criminal prosecution and put you in with all those people you hate! How does any population grow 47% over a ten year period? Are they adding in the illegal alien population? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/75 "2012-11-27T22:43:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, Arpaio [won re-election,](http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-arizona-sheriff-arpaio-wins-sixth-term-073445881.html) anyway. Awesome. Hopefully we’ll get more threads of leftitards crying in their wheaties. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/76 "2012-11-27T23:05:44Z")
Well, all in all, things went pretty well. Not too shabby. Don’t follow these things too close, how’d it go for you guys? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/77 "2012-11-27T23:19:41Z")
By “leftitards”, you mean people who actually read the Constitution instead of just bowing and praying to it? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/78 "2012-11-27T23:20:18Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Awesome. Hopefully we’ll get more threads of leftitards crying in their wheaties. I applaud your political analysis sir! Your grasp of the political ramifications of immigration policy and enforcement are no doubt the envy of your colleagues at the prestigious institute of sad bitter losers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/79 "2012-11-27T23:25:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > By “leftitards”, you mean people who actually read the Constitution instead of\*\* just bowing and praying to it\*\*? Don’t forget ignoring it. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586/80 "2012-11-28T00:28:51Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I’d love to see Arizona and Joe saddled with a large fine when this is over. What, and let the taxpayers suffer for his actions? Oh, wait, they re-elected him how many times? I see. And his polls…yes… Carry on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-sues-sheriff-arpaio-for-civil-rights-abuses/621586.md?page=3)