United Road Towing, a company with a multimillion dollar monopoly towing cars for the Phoenix Police Department, has a questionable track record of dealing with its employees -- and its subsidiaries have been under federal scrutiny.

The company agreed in June to pay $380,000 to 13 individuals who complained that it discriminated against disabled employees. And last year, the company threatened to sue employees who landed better-paying jobs with one of its competitors.

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gulagbound.com

The Arizona Supreme Court has upheld an age-old law requiring everyone seeking political office in the state be proficient in the English language.

To put it in nativist terms, "Speak English, dammit."

Alejandrina Cabrera was trying to run for a city council seat in San Luis -- where 88 percent of people speak a language other than English at home, according to the latest census statistics.

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Mark Mitchell, free man.

We got a copy of the letter from Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, explaining to Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery why no charges will be filed against Tempe Mayor-elect Mark Mitchell.

Aside from the "absence of a reasonable belief of probable conviction," Polk also notes Mitchell's age at the time and the probability that he would've been tried as a juvenile.

The sexual-abuse allegations against Mitchell -- initially reported to Phoenix police -- was forwarded to the Yavapai County Attorney's Office since Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery had publicly supported Michael Monti, Mitchell's opponent in the mayoral race.

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Mark Mitchell

The Yavapai County Attorney has reportedly decided to not file charges against Tempe Mayor-elect Mark Mitchell in the case involving the woman who recently came forward claiming Mitchell sexually abused her as a kid.

The case -- initially reported to Phoenix police -- was forwarded to the Yavapai County Attorney's Office since Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery had publicly supported Michael Monti, Mitchell's opponent in the mayoral race.

Mitchell's accuser claimed the incidents occurred in 1983 -- when she was 10, and Mitchell was 13 or 14 -- and she just brought it up to the cops a couple months ago.

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As we write this, the attorneys litigating the arson case of State of Arizona v. Michael Marin are presenting their opening statements to a Maricopa County jury in downtown Phoenix.

We planned on blogging about the opposing sides' hope to show in their efforts to win a conviction of the so-called "Burning Man," a once-affluent fellow who fell on hard financial times and now stands accused in the July 2009 torching of his custom Biltmore Estates home.

An obvious motive? Money, insurance money, that is.

Instead, we're back here at the office, after Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen "precluded" (i.e., booted) us from his courtroom as the openings were about to start, moments after prosecutors served us with a subpoena that suggests we may be called as a "rebuttal" witness should the need arise.

"Burning Man" apparently not too keen on New Times

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Image: www.wgandf-law.com

The State Bar license of Angela Wilson-Goodman, a Gilbert lawyer, will be suspended for 30 days for violating ethical rules.

A Gilbert lawyer's State Bar license will be suspended for 30 days because of her bad behavior as a defendant in a lawsuit.

Angela Wilson-Goodman, who started her own firm in 1997, specializes in commercial litigation and "general business advice," according to her Web site.

If she gives good advice, though, she apparently didn't follow it after being sued for "contract damages."

Wilson-Goodman blew off "multiple" court dates related to the lawsuit, and ignored a court order to turn over information about the case, says a bulletin by the State Bar of Arizona.

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Phil Mickelson, who remains one of the world's most popular golfers even as his game slowly fades, was cordial, yet short, when we asked him at the Waste Management Open about his new lawsuit.

 

Phil and Amy Mickelson made the front pages after the first Masters' win

​"I support freedom of speech 100 percent all the way, but I'm not going to stand for someone defam[ing] me and my family," Lefty said shortly after a decent round that left him within striking distance of the leader (he finished tied for 26th place, earning $43,310). 

Mickelson was referring to a curious January 25 defamation lawsuit he filed in a Canadian courtroom against Internet service provider giant Videotron.

The future Hall of Fame golfer already has persuaded a Quebec judge to order the ISP to turn over (within 10 days) identifying info about two anonymous posters who slimed him and his wife, Amy, on the Yahoo! Sports site late last year.

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Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon

​The Arizona Court of Appeal is weighing whether to overturn a ruling that protected from public release Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's security-detail log.

It's unknown when the judges who heard arguments in the case on Tuesday will make their ruling.

The log maintained by Gordon's security detail -- sworn Phoenix police officers who are assigned to guard the mayor -- reportedly includes information about unscheduled stops Gordon made during the course of his day, including details about who traveled with him and where he was picked up and dropped off.

During that time, Gordon was involved with now ex-girlfriend, Elissa Mullany.



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Investigation Discovery

Hostage: Do or Die premiers tonight at 8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery

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Lois Fraley, a former Arizona Department of Corrections officer, spent 15 days in early 2004 as a hostage inside a tower at the Lewis Prison Complex in Buckeye -- the longest prison standoff in the nation's history.

Tonight at 8 p.m., her story will be featured on the premier of Hostage: Do Or Die, a new television series on Investigation Discovery.

Find ID on your TV with the network's channel finder.

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Investigation Discovery

Hostage: Do Or Die premieres December 1 on Investigation Discovery.

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Lois Fraley, a former Arizona Department of Corrections officer, spent 15 days in early 2004 as a hostage inside a tower at the Lewis Prison Complex in Buckeye -- the longest prison standoff in the nation's history.

On December 1 at 10 p.m., her story will be featured on the premier of Hostage: Do Or Die, a new television series on Investigation Discovery. Find ID on your TV with the network's channel finder.

Promo below:

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