Sheriff Joe Arpaio Charged With Criminal Contempt

Joe Arpaio, possibly the most widely-known sheriff in America because of his hardline tactics on undocumented immigrants in his state of Arizona, has been formally charged with criminal contempt at the federal level just days before he seeks re-election.

Arpaio has faced potential criminal contempt charges since 2015 when he violated a federal judge’s order to stop enforcing civil immigration laws in Maricopa County, home to the city of Phoenix Arizona, reported The Arizona Republic. Immigration laws are under federal jurisdiction, and as a local law enforcement officer, Arpaio was not legally able to enforce such laws.

Arpaio, 84, will face trial on Dec. 6 in Phoenix’s U.S. District Court and faces up to six months in federal prison.

“We plan on vigorously contesting each and every one of the allegations in the order to show cause,” said Arpaio’s defense attorney Mel McDonald, according to The Arizona Republic.

Arpaio, a Republican, has been the sheriff of Maricopa County for 23 years and faces a tough re-election bid against Democrat Paul Penzone, a former police officer with more than 20 years of experience.

And Penzone didn’t hesitate to take Arpaio to task for the criminal charges.

“It’s another example of the sheriff putting his own personal objectives ahead of the best interest of the community at our expense,” Penzone said, according to The Associated Press.

This isn’t the first time Arpaio has gotten into legal trouble because of his work.

Arpaio was under a federal investigation in 2014 after he was accused of using his office to retaliate against local officials who opposed his policies by accusing them of corruption.

In 2011, “Sheriff Joe,” as he is commonly known, was also investigated for misspending $99.5 million in jail funds over an eight-year period, according to The Arizona Republic.

Some of those funds were used to investigate political rivals and use his traffic patrol police to illegally enforce federal law by targeting immigrants, according to the AP.

Arpaio’s legal issues have come at a heavy financial cost on the people in his district.

Maricopa County taxpayers have spent $48 million on Arpaio’s legal bills — and that cost is expected to climb up to $72 million by summer of 2017.

Sources: The Arizona Republic (2), AP via Talking Points Memo / Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr