Controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Faces Contempt Hearing In Profiling Case

AP | By JACQUES BILLEAUD
Posted: 04/21/2015 6:38 am EDT Updated: 5 hours ago

PHOENIX (AP) — The sheriff for metro Phoenix begins a four-day hearing Tuesday that could bring him fines, damage his credibility and make him politically vulnerable for his acknowledged violations of a judge's orders in a racial profiling case.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has acknowledged disobeying the judge's pretrial order that barred his immigration enforcement patrols. He also has accepted responsibility for his agency's failure to turn over traffic-stop videos in the profiling case and bungling a plan to gather such recordings from officers once some videos were discovered.

The hearing marks the boldest attempt to hold the normally defiant sheriff personally responsible for his actions.

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U.S. District Judge Murray Snow will decide whether Arpaio and four aides should be held in contempt for violating the order barring the sheriff's immigration patrols. Rank-and-file officers weren't told about the injunction, leaving them to violate the order for about 18 months.

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