Embattled Sheriff Joe Arpaio loses re-election bid
Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio lost his bid for re-election on Tuesday as he faced a criminal contempt of court charge.
Arpaio lost a bid for a seventh term, “effectively ending the career of perhaps the most divisive law enforcement figure in the country,” the New York Times reports. He was charged with criminal contempt of court the day before early voting began, the Arizona Republic reports.
The criminal charge alleges Arpaio violated a court order that barred him from detaining people only because he believed they were in the country illegally. He was criminally charged on Oct. 25, the Arizona Republic reported in this story.
The winner was Democrat Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix police sergeant. Arpaio has been in office for 24 years.
Related articles:
ABAJournal.com: “Federal judge refers Sheriff Joe Arpaio for criminal prosecution”
ABA Journal: “The Maricopa Courthouse War”
