Maricopa County Supervisors Exchange Fire with Ogletree Deakins Over Sheriff's Suits
Upping the ante in a hard-fought battle for control of Maricopa County, Ariz., that some observers fear has threatened the rule of law there, the county’s board of supervisors is reportedly expected to consider tomorrow whether to fire the private law firm that has been representing the sheriff’s office in multiple controversial litigation matters.
While representing the Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his office, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart may have been involved in conduct unacceptable to the county supervisors—who have been targeted by the sheriff’s office in litigation—a top county official alleges in a draft document obtained by the Arizona Republic.
However, attorney Eric Dowell of Ogletree Deakins says his firm has done nothing wrong and threatened to file suit against the supervisors for suggesting otherwise, the newspaper recounts.
“This is slanderous and defamatory, per se, and none of it is true whatsoever,” he told the Arizona Republic. “It’s just another effort to terminate every one of the sheriff’s and former county attorney’s lawyers, and to try to defame them. You take a position adverse to the board, they try to defame you, and cast aspersions.”
The Ogletree firm is representing the sheriff’s office in unusual litigation filed by the Department of Justice seeking evidence in an ongoing civil rights investigation.
Related coverage:
ABA Journal: “The Maricopa Courthouse War”
