News execs can sue Arpaio for arrest, court rules

[Newsjock]

Source: Arizona Republic

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday reinstated a federal civil rights and conspiracy lawsuit filed by Phoenix New Times owners Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and a special prosecutor appointed by former County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

The claims in the lawsuit date to October 2007, when Lacey and Larkin were arrested in the middle of the night after publishing information in New Times about extensive subpoenas issued by special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik.

Arpaio pressured the County Attorney's Office to prosecute New Times writers for publishing his address and pointing out that the address was already available online. Arpaio had failed to convince former County Attorney Rick Romley to prosecute, and the Pinal County Attorney's Office also declined. Thomas then appointed Wilenchik, his former employer and political ally as special prosecutor, to look into the matter.

When Lacey and Larkin published a story about the subpoenas, former Sheriff's Chief Deputy David Hendershott ordered that they be arrested.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20120829arizona-new-times-executives-can-sue-arpaio-arrest-court-rules.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. good

[cstanleytech]

2. Did feds even into this?

Surely such an act would in of itself be a crime they should be investigating.

[pipoman]

3. Holy shit..

guess I've been asleep on this one. Interesting case this will be...

[freshwest]

4. Oh goodie! Between Brewer endorsing Obama at the RNC Convention and this, I can die happy. Wait...

I would miss out on the celebration in November, so scratch that...

[savalez]

5. This'll kinda cheer you up too.

Russell Pearce’s Disastrous Arizona Campaign Is Over

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/russell_pearce_loses.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

[freshwest]

6. Hope the same broom that swept this guy out takes out the rest of the baggers there in AZ.

There's hope for the state yet. We don't need that hatred.

[ck4829]

7. In the subpoena, Arpaio demanded the IP addresses of everyone who read the article

If you're not creeped out by that, then you are not paying attention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_New_Times