Is there anyone who takes at face value a claim from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio that his office’s arrest of county Supervisor Don Stapley this morning has absolutely no connection to Friday’s dismissal of the remaining criminal counts against Stapley from a previous case? Of course, some people believe the original investigation and arrest of Stapley was spurred after Stapley publicly questioned Arpaio’s management of the sheriff’s office in the wake of the Tribune’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series, “Reasonable Doubt.” It’s part of the reason that Maricopa County government has become a feuding snake pit, with Stapley’s colleagues essentially siding with him and against Arpaio in various power struggles and lawsuits.
But a lot of people outside of county government were willing to give Arpaio a lot of leeway politically. Stapley has been a county supervisor for a long time, but he’s also a real estate developer who has close ties to a convicted felon. Perhaps the sheriff’s investigators really had found some wrongdoing on Stapley’s part, many people reasoned.
But to claim today’s arrest was a complete coincidence? I don’t think hardly anyone is going to believe Arpaio this time. This investigation has been underway since January, and supposedly was finished 12 days ago. But Arpaio’s office didn’t refer the case to County Attorney Andrew Thomas or another prosecutor to seek an indictment, which is the typical step for a complex and lengthy investigation targeting an elected official. No, Arpaio or one of his supervisors just randomly decided today was the day to rush out and arrest Stapley. Oh, sure.
The bad timing can only damage the state’s efforts to actually convict Stapley if the sheriff does have credible evidence of felony crimes. Certainly, any judge or jury is going at least wonder if the filing of another 100 criminal charges at this point is politically motivated.
Today’s arrest was the wrong legal move and it didn’t help Arpaio’s public image either. That seems rather odd for a sheriff who usually finesses the latter so well.
Sheriff’s Office: Stapley arrested in tax, campaign, business fraud
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