The Short Distance From Sheriff Arpaio to Inmate Arpaio

By EJ Montini, The Arizona Republic

31 May 16

wenty-one years ago at just about this time of year, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, still in his first term in office, decided to spend the night at his Tent City jail in order to prove that inmates there were just fine without what he called the “luxuries” of hot lunches, coffee, cigarettes and naughty magazines.

Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union now are hoping that federal Judge Murray Snow will make such an arrangement for Arpaio more permanent.

The ACLU lawyers want the contempt case against Apaio and Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan sent to the U.S. Attorney’s office to be investigated for possible criminal violations, which they say would include perjury, obstruction of justice and making false statements to a court-appointed monitor.

Arpaio and Sheridan have admitted to violating the judge’s order but say it wasn’t on purpose.

The ACLU lawyers aren’t buying it. And Judge Snow may not either.

In addition, the lawyers want the powers of the court-appointed monitor overseeing the sheriff’s operation to be increased.

And they want Arpaio to hand over $300,000 from his personal account in damages.

Some years back the sheriff told me something that seemed almost comical at the time but now might be prophetic.

"I'm the only guy who's not paranoid,” he said. “and everybody's going after me."