Arpaio's Office Ordered to Pay $94,000 in Legal Fees Following Record-Shredding Spree

By Ray Stern Wed., Jun. 8 2011 at 11:37 PM

Categories: All the Sheriff's Shredders

Pin It

Image: www.shredngo.com

Shredding documents requested in a racial-profiling lawsuit will cost Arpaio (well, a county insurance company) $94,000 in legal fees.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio learned today that shredding evidence doesn't always come cheap:

A federal judge ordered the sheriff's office to pay $94,000 in legal fees related to a 2009 record-destroying spree carried out by Arpaio's anti-illegal-immigrant squads.

Lawyers in a federal suit that accuses Arpaio's shop of racial profiling argued that they were owed big money because of the extra work that had to be done following the admission by deputies that they'd shredded info sheets immediately following the controversial immigration sweeps.

Arpaio likely figures the money -- which the county's insurance company will pay -- is well-spent.

If the "stat sheets" kept by deputies during the sweeps for illegal immigrant not been shredded, proof of racial profiling could have been exposed as early as 2008, before Arpaio was re-elected for the fifth time.

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Tags:

cops, dragnets, hispanics, latinos, law enforcement, mexicans, racial profiling, sheriff joe arpaio, shredding, sweeps

Write Comment

Email to Friend

Print Article

Related Content

So, let him pay it. That would end this practice in a heart beat. Oh, wait...the criminals who run this country passed laws that say they're immune. That sounds fair to me, they're alot smarter than us. Or maybe because they have the police and military under their authority that they can get away with it. That's it! I figured it out! Now I'm smart too.
It's only a matter of time before someone actually decides to arrest the joke for his illegal activities (what part of "illegal" does he not understand), instead of punishing the taxpayers for his actions.
==Seems to me that that 'certain amount' could have run out years ago.== Unfortunately, it's per-occurrence, not per-asshole.
Why am I not surpried by this latest round of MCSO bullshit? I personally believe that the Ancient Asshole of MCSO needs to pay these fees out of his own fucking pocket. This is ridiculous.
Wonder if the set aside money is a part of the 100 million that the sheriff's office has been found to have amassed illegally? "at least up to a certain amount." Seems to me that that 'certain amount' could have run out years ago. "self insurance pool" - I thought that was Arpaio's hit list, not money. Please don't tell the taxpayers that you are self insured. My next question would be where does that money come from? And if there is a big pool of money, why aren't the taxpayers being paid back toward the 100 million that they've absconded with? My ma used to call it "rob Peter to pay Paul."
Not that the New Times is any worse at fact checking than the Republic, but the money is not coming from the county's insurance company. Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Justin Griffin said the money will come from the county's self-insurance pool. Self-insurance means that you don't buy insurance -- you set money aside to pay claims, at least up to a certain amount.
Your tax dollars at work...
Why a fine that ends up costing the taxpayers? Why not an arrest for criminal activity and interfering with a federal investigation?