August 25, 2017

"Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!"

"I am humbled and incredibly grateful to President Trump. I look fwd to putting this chapter behind me and helping to #MAGA."

Tweeted Joe Arpaio, quoted at Politico article, which reports:
The White House broke the news just after 8 p.m. and laid out the case for why the 85-year-old Arpaio — to some a symbol of animosity toward immigrants and Hispanics — deserved the president’s first such reprieve. The announcement highlighted Arpaio’s military service and “his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.”

116 comments:

Bob Ellison said...

Arpaio's story is a political one. He did weird things, like pink shorts for prisoners.

The guy is unhinged. Kinda like Trump, but older, and healthy.

People out there in Maricopa County are in a crucible on Arpaio. They can't be on one side or the other. Gotta be insane.

Bob Ellison said...

Not a crucible. A centrifuge, maybe.

Darrell said...

Bush should have done the same for Scooter Libby. If he had balls.

LYNNDH said...

I really don't like Arpaio. But he was railroaded by a Lefty judge. Trump did the right thing. Better than the Rapist Clinton pardoning Marc Rich. By the war the article had to be written by a lefty.

The Vault Dweller said...

I've seen that the former Sheriff was convicted of Criminal contempt of court, but does anyone specifically know what he did to earn that sanction?

Bob Ellison said...

NPR,funded 50% by our tax dollars, says democratically elected sheriff Arpaio is "infamous".

Earnest Prole said...

Presidential pardon: the last vestige of royal prerogative.

Thorley Winston said...

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago I would have been one of those cheering Arpaio as "America's Toughest Sheriff" but over the years I've come to see him as just as grandstander and from what I've read, he got what he deserved in the contempt case.

mockturtle said...

The Vault Dweller asks: I've seen that the former Sheriff was convicted of Criminal contempt of court, but does anyone specifically know what he did to earn that sanction?

Yes. He had the audacity to check the immigration status of people who were stopped by police.

M Jordan said...

Trump should follow with a pardon of Hillary for all crimes she may or may not have committed with the exception of murder.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Instapundit raises some questions...

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3026884

The Godfather said...

Whew! I was worried there for a minute. With all the uproar I thought he'd pardoned Hillary.

buwaya said...

Arpaio was not really a politician.

He is a man who prefers to think out of the box, to say and do the outre and unsafe, and to actually innovate and create. And, not least, to tell truly inconvenient truths.

In my book that is the most admirable sort of man, who can look the devil of this world in the eye and spit in his face.

richard mcenroe said...

Best reason for pardoning Arpaio: the arrogant judge who sentenced him for refusal of a court order refused him a jury trial...twice.

buwaya said...

And why not pink shorts?
Why is the conventional sacred?

California Snow said...

@VaultDweller - Arpaio was ordered to stop the immigration raids and his office kept doing them. Simple as that.

buwaya said...

Very much like Duterte in fact, who is immensely popular (so far) for much the same reasons. And, for that matter, Trump.

People who have a degree of power, who ob ject to these gentlemen, should first look to their own faults, of greed, complacency, inflexibility, lack of imagination and creativity, and above all, the sin of pride.

buwaya said...

Arpaio was enforcing laws, and a judge told him to stop doing that. From a certain point of view that is unendurable corruption of the legal system.

If the law fails, it is honorable to revolt.

buwaya said...

Every country in the world has bronze statues of brave men who have been persecuted by their legal systems, for unjust reasons. This is a never-ending story.

Whether they end up regarded as heroes, with statues, or villains to be ritually defamed in elementary school classrooms for a century or two is usually up to whomever eventually wins these fights.

Darrell said...

A judge that doesn't enforce the laws of the State of Arizona and the United States of America is a crooked judge. They got what was coming to them in Westerns.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I recall Arizona trying to enforce citizenship /federal immigration rules because Obama's feds wouldn't enforce the laws. But then the SCOTUS ruled against Arizona's actions. Yet sanctuary cities can ignore federal immigration laws.

So I am glad Trump pardoned him. His bad rep was a picture drawn by the MSM over that Arizona battle.

mockturtle said...

Arpaio was not really a politician.

He is a man who prefers to think out of the box, to say and do the outre and unsafe, and to actually innovate and create. And, not least, to tell truly inconvenient truths.

In my book that is the most admirable sort of man, who can look the devil of this world in the eye and spit in his face.


Eloquently stated, buwaya!

Darrell said...

The pink shorts were deeply discounted, if I recall the interviews. It was a matter of making the budget work and the color should be irrelevant. Prisoners can buy whatever color they like when they get out.

Mary Beth said...

Headline of an article at HuffPo: "A Trump Pardon Of Disgraced Sheriff Joe Arpaio Will Create A Constitutional Crisis Like No Other"

Like no other!

mockturtle said...

Headline of an article at HuffPo: "A Trump Pardon Of Disgraced Sheriff Joe Arpaio Will Create A Constitutional Crisis Like No Other"

Like no other!


LOL! These rags get more hysterical every day.

Howard said...

Who cares? No humans involved in this story.

Birches said...

Tent City is one of the best things he ever did.

Inga...Allie Oop said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Inga...Allie Oop said...

"The Vault Dweller asks: I've seen that the former Sheriff was convicted of Criminal contempt of court, but does anyone specifically know what he did to earn that sanction?"

Yes. He was told to stop violating Americans 4th Amendment rights and he proceeded to do so for 17 more months.

buwaya said...

In San Francisco's Golden Gate park, our frequent haunt, as we live nearby, there are a large number of bronze statues. Its an eclectic and often surprising collection. Its got one of the very few to Gen. Pershing, who deserves a few more, a fine pair of Goethe abd Schiller, a fine and unusual monument to Cervantes, with both Don Quixote and Sancho Panza paying homage (is there anywhere anything like this, where an authors characters are set to reverencing their creator?).

And there is, right in front of the Academy of Science, one to Robert Emmet, Irish patriot. Of all these, his is most unusual. A man executed for treason to his country, but honored for his patriotism to his other country. These are the risks dissidents and revolutionaries face.

David Begley said...

The trial judge was set to sentence him in October for criminal contempt. The sentence was presumed to be six months. But the trial judge could be wrong and there is no way an appeal could be heard and decided in six months. Doubtful he would have remained free pending appeal. He would hsve been killed in jail.

I know little about the merits of the criminal contempt case.

David Begley said...

Lots of jammerting about how this pardon undermines the rule of law. No similar complaints when Obama exercised his pardon power. The president's pardon power is right in the constitution so it is clearly lawful.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Darrell said...
The pink shorts were deeply discounted, if I recall the interviews. It was a matter of making the budget work and the color should be irrelevant. Prisoners can buy whatever color they like when they get out.

The pink underwear came about because the local gangbangers were smuggling them (both t-shirts and shorts) out of the jail and wearing them around town as a badge of honor. Arpaio decided to dye them pink because so anyone who saw someone wearing them would immediately know they were jail issue whether they could see the laundry markings or not.

Bob Ellison said...

Tent City was fun.

buwaya said...

I understand Arpaio as in my line there is quite a lot of form on the matter of dissidence and revolution. Several of my ancestors were exiled for sedition, others founded or joined revolutionary parties, one was a minister in a government-in-exile, we took sides in civil wars, and joined guerrilla bands, and worked in dissident movements and joined in revolutions.

The law and the pow ers that be are due only the reverence they deserve.

As the ancient oath (of allegiance to the king) of Aragon went,

" We, who are as good as you, swear to you, who are no better than us, to accept you as our king and sovereign, as long as you observe all our liberties and laws, but if not, not. "

Bob Ellison said...

Just north of Phoenix is not a good place to pitch a tent.

California Snow said...

I voted for Arpaio twice and this last time was so tired of the circus his office had become and the massive waste of money that I voted for his opponent. Arpaio was about Arpaio first and foremost. A politician not a lawman. I spoke with some of the Maricopa Co. sheriff's officers and they were glad he lost. They were tired of the circus.

mockturtle said...

California Snow...are you a Californian? If so, what were you doing voting in the Maricopa County, AZ, election?

Anonymous said...

I am in favor of the ex-sheriff on this one. Contempt of court on an 85-year old basically sounds like the government going after someone because it wants to and can.

All the other stuff about him, while potentially making the man controversial, is irrelevant, he got in trouble for ignoring a judicial order that in essence told law enforcement to ignore a crime.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

The 4th Amendment, in case some don't know what it is.

Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

California Snow said...

@MockTurtle- Born & raised in CA but reside in AZ for the past 12 years. Being conservative it's easy to see the bullsh that the Left pushes but sometimes its not too easy to see the bullsh that the Right pushes. Arpaio helped opened my eyes. People blasting Judge Snow as a leftist couldn't be further from the truth. I had the chance to speak with Judge Snow a few times before Arpaio got into trouble. Judge Snow is no leftist but he gets portrayed that way by the Right. He's an honest man. Arpaio...I have my doubts.

steve uhr said...

Who better than a criminal to protect the public from the scourges of crime.

steve uhr said...

Let's not forget his role in the birther movement. certainly in the job descriptions of a county sheriff in Arizona. That kept the public safe at night.

Bob Ellison said...

Let me repeat: the United States government used your tax money to tell you that Arpaio is "infamous".

iowan2 said...

Our nation is a set of checks and balences. President Trump overruled a judge. Happens all the time. Why is this a deal?
Oh, and the Check on President Trump? November, 2020.

California Snow said...

I can't argue on the points of law or whether or not Arpaio should or should not be pardoned or whether his conviction was right or wrong. I see the Right making Arpaio a saint standing up for principal. From my experience I didn't see that. I saw a politician grandstanding and not much caring for the money he was wasting nor the damage he was doing to the reputation of his office or to the cohesiveness of the community. Arpaio made the sheriff's office a joke.



walter said...

Are the courts still doing stuff based around laws?

Blogger buwaya said...
And why not pink shorts?
--
It's the shorts part that concerns Althouse. Pink __? a-ok.

The Vault Dweller said...

If the judge did give a court order, even if the Sheriff thought the order was illegal, the sheriff is still bound to obey it. Rule of law isn't about getting the right answer each time, it is about fidelity to the process. The sheriff as an officer of the law should have followed the court order.

However, for people pretending this pardon is egregious, I wonder what they think about the pardon of Chelsea Manning. In mind that one is inexcusable. At least the Sheriff could make the argument that he was acting to enforce Federal law, Manning just revealed state secrets for no good reason.

mccullough said...

Since it's a misdemeanor, it's not a big deal, As to rule of law, that's an American myth. The laws don't apply to the powerful and laws aren't enforced when they are politically inconvenient.

walter said...

Arpaio was not ready/adequately prepped for nation-wide RNC speech.

walter said...

(major deer in headlights performance)

The Vault Dweller said...

As to rule of law, that's an American myth. The laws don't apply to the powerful and laws aren't enforced when they are politically inconvenient.

I agree that there are many times the powerful get away where lesser would be in trouble **cough cough** Hillary, but that is a bad thing. Doing more of it doesn't help. Now obviously there is nothing illegal about President Trump's pardon. It is his absolute right and his prerogative to pardon whomever he wishes, but it does undermine the idea that everyone is subject to the same laws. If on appeal the Supreme court had come down in the state of Arizona's side on this case, then there would be a more solid argument for the pardon.

The answer to some people getting away with it, is to make sure they don't get away with it. Not to let others get away with it. President Trump would have been better served by getting the justice department to proceed with an indictment against Hillary than by pardoning the Sheriff. Or even better by cracking down on sanctuary cities and witholding funds related to law enforcement related to illegal immigration. The court has already declared that the federal government has plenary authority regarding all issues regarding immigration enforcement. If the federal government withholds funds related to immigration enforcement policies I would like to see a court try to square that circle and say sorry you can't do that now, those localities are owed that money related to immigration enforcement policies even though they have no ability to act on immigration on their own.

mccullough said...

The government ensures the powerful get away with it, that's why the rule of law is a myth. Jon Corzine stole $1 billion. He gets a CFTC action. A bank teller steals $500 she gets a federal indictment and two years in prison. The answer is not to believe in the myth, not to pretend that government officials can ever be other than who they are.

walter said...

" If on appeal the Supreme court had come down in the state of Arizona's side on this case, then there would be a more solid argument for the pardon."
--
Would there be need for one at that point?

Ralph L said...

wearing them around town as a badge of honor.
A few years ago, skirt-length white T shirts were a fad here among wannabe thugs. I heard the drooping pants stupidity was about imitating the belt-removal of the newly-jailed.

Wasn't he the sheriff that tried fattening his inmates to reduce their testosterone levels, and therefore, fighting? I never heard if that worked.

walter said...

How does one go about fattening inmates, Ralph?

The Vault Dweller said...

Would there be need for one at that point?

I'm not sure about the timing and process of this case, but if at the initial steps the Sheriff had failed to obey a court order based on what he believed to be a faulty ruling of the lower court even if later on appeal the Supreme Court held that the Arizona immigration policy and enforcement proceedings were constitutional, the Sheriff still would have disobeyed a direct court order. So I think he still could have been prosecuted for that, because he was convicted of criminal contempt of court, not a federal civil rights violation. I am not certain though.

buwaya said...

You have no law. Its not a matter of reform, a restoration, that is impossible. You cannot make sure that they don't "get away with it", because the entire system is corrupt, at best only a few isolated flashes of probity can sneak through.

If so, then the only way through is to overthrow the system entirely, remove all its corrupt personnel, throw out all infected precedent and start entirely anew.

If this is the situation, violating or ignoring the laws is a revolutionary act.

walter said...

Right. This is where a Legal Eagle interpretation would be helpful.
Laslo?

The Vault Dweller said...

You cannot make sure that they don't "get away with it", because the entire system is corrupt,

I think this was a large part of the appeal of Donald Trump to many. He came from outside the system so he wouldn't be bogged down by earned loyalties and political favors. He could come in and drain the Swamp.

MacMacConnell said...

The only reason to be up set over the pardon is because you support open borders or Arpaio isn't rich enough to donate $1 million to the Obama library.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

buwaya said...
And why not pink shorts?
Why is the conventional sacred?

8/25/17, 9:37 PM

Because Prog Nation takes offense that making men wear pink is employed as punishment. That is homophobic wrongthink right there. If I'm not mistaken, for many years there was a college sports powerhouse who had their visiting men's teams locker room painted pink. Then the Easily Offended whipped up the outrage machine and forced them to paint it a different color....

Found the article. Very surprised it's from 2005. Time flies. Didn't realize the SJW's were so influential at that time. Not surprised at all article is from ESPN.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=2174828

traditionalguy said...

Joe was convicted of arresting illegals by spotting their Aztec racial appearance. That is why the TSA goons at airports frisk Gandmothers ,babies and sexy young women while ignoring middle aster appearing Arab men of military age thus obeying the Law that refuses to profile suspects because it seems rude.

hombre said...

Unknown said: "The 4th Amendment, in case some don't know what it is."

Unknown welcomes desecration of the First and Second Amendments, but holds the Fourth as sacrosanct, even, as here, when it does not apply.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

It's not about Arpaio, it's about getting the Left to yammer hysterically about their support for illegal immigration.

Yancey Ward said...

I have no real sympathy for Arpaio, but his case did raise one issue that I find utterly inexplicable- the 6 month penalty rule for whether or not you are entitled to a jury trial. I simply don't understand how the Supreme Court managed to find such a rule given the language of the 6th Amendment which is quite clear that in all criminal prosecutions, a person may ask for and receive a trial by jury. It really undermines the intent of that clause because laws and prosecutions can easily be bent to fit such a rule to try and sentence a person without ever allowing him a trial by jury- really, the writers of the Constitution had to have had that in mind, otherwise they wouldn't have written the amendment that explicitly.

If I were the President, the very fact that Arpaio was denied a jury trial would be more than enough for me to pardon him, even if I thought he was in the wrong. I certainly understand why the prosecutors didn't want him to get such a trial, but that is itself a corruption.

Pinandpuller said...

Amnesty: It's not just for illegals anymore.

Oso Negro said...

Blogger Unknown said...
The 4th Amendment, in case some don't know what it is.

Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992)

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

8/25/17, 10:45 PM


Thanks for the reminder, Unknown. I will be exercised about the pardon of the Sheriff when someone goes to jail for illegal electronic surveillance of American citizens.

KittyM said...

Here is some information on Sheriff Arpaio:

He ran a jail that he described as a "concentration camp. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/blogs/joe-arpaio-tent-city-a-concentration-camp-6500984"

Prisoners there died at an alarming rate, often without explanation. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/prisoners-hang-themselves-in-sheriff-joe-arpaios-jails-at-a-rate-that-dwarfs-other-county-lockups-7845679"

One of his jailers nearly broke the neck of a paraplegic guy who had the temerity to ask for a catheter. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/jailers-show-a-paraplegic-whos-boss-6445591"

One time, as a publicity stunt, he marched Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/blogs/joe-arpaio-goes-medieval-while-barack-obamas-america-is-a-million-miles-away-6500772"

Here's a couple of other examples of what went on in his jails: "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/keeping-em-in-stitches-6431602" "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arpaios-jail-staff-cost-ambrett-spencer-her-baby-and-shes-not-the-only-one-6433038" "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/109-degrees-of-incarceration-6420876"

He ran an ongoing "mugshot of the day" contest on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/sheriff-joe-arpaio-halts-public-voting-for-jail-mugshot-of-the-day-after-website-redesign-8690032"

He arrested New Times reporters for covering him. They won a $3.75 million settlement for that one. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/joe-arpaio-loses-new-times-co-founders-win-375-million-settlement-for-2007-false-arrests-6651491"

Under him, the MCSO failed to investigate hundreds of sex abuse cases, many of which involved children. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/victims-wonder-why-arpaio-let-sex-abuse-cases-languish-6463426"

But he somehow found time and money to send a deputy to Hawaii to look for Barack Obama's birth certificate. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/joe-arpaio-investigating-obamas-birth-certificate-at-no-cost-to-taxpayers-except-for-the-deputy-in-hawaii-right-now-6643711"

He staged an assassination attempt against himself. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/a-phony-murder-plot-against-joe-arpaio-winds-up-costing-taxpayers-11-million-6629798"

In 2013, a federal judge confirmed what literally everyone in Phoenix knew: he'd been racially profiling Latinos. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/blogs/joe-arpaios-doomsday-arpaio-loses-aclu-civil-rights-lawsuit-mcso-enjoined-from-racially-profiling-latinos-6501634"

So naturally, he hired a PI to investigate the judge and his wife. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/joe-arpaios-investigating-federal-judge-g-murray-snow-doj-sources-say-and-using-a-seattle-scammer-to-do-it-6630628"

He also kept on profiling people, which is why he got charged with contempt of court (and was found to be guilty AF) "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/joe-arpaio-sheriff-guilty-phoenix-9548481"

KittyM said...

And some further information:

He also tried to destroy some of the hard drives containing material that was supposed to be turned over the court. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/snow-orders-arpaio-to-cough-up-new-montgomery-files-and-1-500-seized-ids-to-the-us-marshal-7514146"

By 2015, his fondness for racial profiling had cost the county more $44 million. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arpaio-costs-county-more-than-44-million-in-melendres-expenses-7341280"

He also paid millions to settle lawsuits like this one, where deputies stood by as an inmate was brutally beaten. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/maricopa-county-paying-10k-to-burglar-who-alleged-jail-guards-stood-by-during-beating-6627446"

His office was responsible for countless fiascos like this botched SWAT raid, where deputies set a puppy on fire. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/dog-day-afternoon-6438729"

Also, he put cameras in etc women's toilets "http://articles.latimes.com/2001/apr/28/news/mn-56746"

KittyM said...

As one commentator put it: "A "law and order" president pays tribute to a man who broke the law, expressed no remorse and before any DOJ recommendation"

exhelodrvr1 said...

"He also tried to destroy some of the hard drives containing material that was supposed to be turned over the court. "

Wow!! I can't imagine someone doing that and not being put in jail!!

Humperdink said...

"He also tried to destroy some of the hard drives containing material that was supposed to be turned over the court."

Like with a cloth?

tim in vermont said...

If people have made him a symbol, then he should have rotted in jail.

tim in vermont said...

"
Who cares? No humans involved in this story."

Yeah, we should vote in people like Howard who consider half of America sub-human.

Humperdink said...

If anyone thought Trump would cower in a corner from the unrelenting media assault, this move should dispel that. Bravo!

brylun said...

Let's call out the judges for what they are: Susan Ritchie Bolton is the judge who convicted and sentenced Arpaio. She was appointed by Bill Clinton. That's all you need to know. Bolton is a partisan Dem hack.

I'm surprised this is the first comment with her name.

tim in vermont said...

I am pretty sure that the states have the right to take the law into their own hands when the federal government refuses to respond to an invasion.

But rich Democrats neede the cheap labor.

AllenS said...

So, Trump pardons an 85 year old man, and the hate spews forth over it. An 85 year old man, who didn't kill anyone, but pissed off some lib judge.

rcocean said...

Is there anything more laughable then hearing liberals who support illegal immigration, ignoring drug laws, and the Clintons, pompously intone about respect for the "Rule of Law"?

Comedy Gold.

tim in vermont said...

People say that unemployment is low so importing scabs illegally isn't hurting anybody, but until there is upward pressure on working-class wages,I am calling those people liars.

Kovacs said...

Anyone who comes to this blog today because they were curious about what a Trump supporter who is also a constitutional law scholar would say about Trump's pardon of a serial rights abuser will be disappointed. This is one of those cases where, there being no reasonable defense of Trump's actions, Althouse decides essentially to punt and leave the field to her special team of commenters.

brylun said...

Hey Kovacs, you are such a scholar! What an astute analysis!

Humperdink said...

"..... there being no reasonable defense of Trump's actions ....."

Doesn't need defended. Read the constitution regarding pardons (Article II, section 2).

Hagar said...

A political squabble etween elected officials through and through.
The citizens of Maricopa County kept re-electing Arpaio in full awareness of the isuues, and their voice should be heard.

Freder Frederson said...

NPR,funded 50% by our tax dollars, says democratically elected sheriff Arpaio is "infamous".

An outright lie (NPR is not funded 50% by tax dollars, in fact it receives no direct federal funding) and a demonstration of poor reading comprehension ("infamous" modifies "Tent City Jail" not Arpaio) in one sentence.

Freder Frederson said...

I wonder what they think about the pardon of Chelsea Manning. In mind that one is inexcusable.

Chelsea Manning was not pardoned, her sentence was commuted. Big difference.

Michael K said...

"I've seen that the former Sheriff was convicted of Criminal contempt of court, but does anyone specifically know what he did to earn that sanction?"

He enforced the law. Obama didn't like it.

George Soros spent a fortune electing that hand picked opponent who will lose the next election unless Soros spends another fortune.

KittyM just self identified as a lefty.

Denying him a jury trial. which the judge would never convict him, was grounds enough for a pardon.

"Chelsea" Manning is a traitor. Slight difference.

Fernandinande said...

richard mcenroe said...
Best reason for pardoning Arpaio: the arrogant judge who sentenced him for refusal of a court order refused him a jury trial...twice.


That's the only reason needed, the rest is irrelevant.

I was threatened with "criminal contempt" and told that, for some magical reasons outside the penumbrae of the Constitution, you couldn't have a jury, so I filed a motion to find myself in contempt; that stopped the threats.

Brookzene said...

Let me repeat: the United States government used your tax money to tell you that Arpaio is "infamous".

NPR is "the United States government" - had to repeat that twice. Yokel speak.

buwaya said...

NPR receives plenty of indirect federal/public funding.
Add setaside channels for public broadcasting and deductions for charitable contributions plus the indirect political purposes of sponsorship and you get a huge amount.

buwaya said...

NPR is the approved venue of the US state.
It is the US BBC, an agent of the state to exactly the same degree as the BBC. Note that the BBC is not under the political control of Her Majesties Government, the parliamentary majority and the cabinet. It is rather the propaganda outlet the state structure.

Brookzene said...

Unknown welcomes desecration of the First and Second Amendments, but holds the Fourth as sacrosanct, even, as here, when it does not apply.

Whataboutism should always be called out for what it is. Rationalizing, not reasoning.

Freder Frederson said...

Add setaside channels for public broadcasting and deductions for charitable contributions plus the indirect political purposes of sponsorship and you get a huge amount.

Liar. there are no "setaside channels" for public broadcasting, I have already called you out on that lie. Public radio stations have to pay the same for a broadcast license as commercial stations. Direct federal, state and local funding of public radio stations is about 14% of the budget (9% CPB, 5% other funding). Even with the charitable deduction, it still doesn't add up to 50%. Not even close.

Ray - SoCal said...

+1 on centrifuge remark!

Be great if AA explains the jury issue.

Freder Frederson said...

Be great if AA explains the jury issue.

Bet she doesn't

Bruce Hayden said...

"The pink underwear came about because the local gangbangers were smuggling them (both t-shirts and shorts) out of the jail and wearing them around town as a badge of honor. Arpaio decided to dye them pink because so anyone who saw someone wearing them would immediately know they were jail issue whether they could see the laundry markings or not."

The official position (which you could hear in a recorded message if you called the jail) was just that, and that it made detecting jail underwear easier upon discharge. It was supposedly a budgetary issue.

Many of those on the outside thought that Tent City was a horrible. Not the inmates. It was apparently considered much preferred to being in the more crowded, more restrictive, central jail, with questionable air conditioning. But was apparently only available to non-violent inmates and excluded those awaiting trial and the like, and we're going to be there for a bit. This excluded those on the way in to or out of the prison system, or serving short sentences.

Finally, the diet. Yes, apparently the diet was optimized for reducing violence. High carb, low protein. And rumors that something else was added (saltpeter?). Completely unappetizing. Names for the few dishes - such as "loaf". Fruit was small and blemished, etc. It was supposedly very precisely formulated to be low cost, but filled with all the essential nutrients.

As an admission of interest, I did vote for Sheriff Joe in the past, and my partner routinely did so, until the last election, when I got her registered here in MT.

buwaya said...

Broadcast license fees are trivial, or were until recently, but public broadcasters are not affected by this.

Public broadcasters in practice are licensed their frequencies without having to, for instance, compete in spectrum auctions.
And public broadcasters have different and more accomodating licensing rules. In fact public broadcasters have sold their licensed but underused spectrum through these auctions to raise funds.

The net effect is that public broadcasters are given numerous advantages vs commercial users.

Phil 314 said...

As a resident of Maricopa County, as long as he's not Sheriff I'm happy.

Robert Cook said...

"Chelsea Manning is a traitor. Slight difference."

People who tell the truth about the powerful are always deemed traitors by apologists for the powerful.

Phil 314 said...

Sheriff Joe was an easy way for voters to express their anger and frustration about illegal immigrants and criminals without having to rely on his poorly run law enforcement agency.

I wonder they did with the tank?

Brookzene said...

As a resident of Maricopa County, as long as he's not Sheriff I'm happy.

Exactly how I feel about Trump. I don't care if the next president pardons him, I'll just be happy that he's gone.

Michael K said...

"Yokel speak."

The lefties are not even aware of the contempt with which they treat anyone who disagrees with them, no matter if the other party is far more educated.

This is a form of herd behavior. The "cool kids" are always giving each other signals.

buwaya said...

Brookzene,

Look at the big picture. Trump is just a man.
Your problem is your immense, unworkable, decadent government system that has paralyzed your economy and society. It is all on a path to disaster.

Removing Trump will not fix it; it was there before Trump, and I give Trump poor odds of fixing it. But no-one else is likely to even try, your political class being so dreadful.

What is so terrible about Trump compared to the system as a whole?

Really, I find this fixation on Trump incredibly trivial. It is like a cancer patient freaking out about dandruff.

Brookzene said...

This is a form of herd behavior. The "cool kids" are always giving each other signals.

Fatuous. Ridiculous.

It's simply calling someone a name, which I shouldn't do. No one should do it. I apologize to @Ellison.

Paul said...

And now Sen. McCain has a hissy fit over this. Didn't Nixon pardon McCain when he came back from Hanoi prison? Pardon him for TREASON? Yet McCain thinks he is holy. Maybe McCain should be the one in prison.

Trump did what he thought was right. I guess Nixon did to.

Humperdink said...

So McCain is upset with Trump's decision? If there was any doubt that Trump made the right call, that seals it.

Bruce Hayden said...

I find it interesting that McCain is having a problem with this pardon. My view is that this is indicia that he knows he won't ever run again for election. He doesn't have that any really strong fans in the Republican Party in AZ. Arpaiao does. Hard to primary a sitting Senator, so McCain got himself reelected one more time. Be interesting to see what his Flakie Junior Senator colleague does here - will he alienate the Republican base as McCain has done here too? Or will he keep his mouth shut?

Brookzene said...

And now Sen. McCain has a hissy fit over this. Didn't Nixon pardon McCain when he came back from Hanoi prison?

Some of you are wandering so far away from traditional American values that I doubt you'll ever find your way back. Maybe you never embraced them to begin with.

hombre said...

Thirty years ago, I was acquainted with both these guys. I didn't care for either of them, but I can tell you, Arpaio, for all his faults, is far and away the superior public servant.

For all his self-serving grandstanding, Arpaio served the law and the needs of his constituents. For all his self-serving grandstanding, McCain serves himself and the swamp.

Arpaio is a Republican who was prosecuted for going against PC Democrats. Trump is making mistakes. This pardon isn't one of them.

Brookzene said...

Arpaio is a Republican who was prosecuted for going against PC Democrats.

Prosecuted for continuing to violate 4th Amendment rights long after the court told him to stop. Don't forget it.

You law and order types.

AllenS said...

What's the penalty for violating the 4th Amendment?

What's the penalty for violating the 1st Amendment?

What's the penalty for violating the 2nd Amendment?

How many people go to jail for violating any of the Amendments?

KittyM said...

Extremely annoying for you guys and for me...I posted a comment above earlier that began with the words "And some further information:..."

That's because I posted a long comment with more information at first. This seemed to not post. So I will try again in a sec. Apologies for that.

KittyM said...

Information about Arpaio (more pertinent than before):

He ran a jail that he described as a "concentration camp. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/blogs/joe-arpaio-tent-city-a-concentration-camp-6500984"

Prisoners there died at an alarming rate, often without explanation. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/prisoners-hang-themselves-in-sheriff-joe-arpaios-jails-at-a-rate-that-dwarfs-other-county-lockups-7845679"

One of his jailers nearly broke the neck of a paraplegic guy who had the temerity to ask for a catheter. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/jailers-show-a-paraplegic-whos-boss-6445591"

One time, as a publicity stunt, he marched Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing. "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/blogs/joe-arpaio-goes-medieval-while-barack-obamas-america-is-a-million-miles-away-6500772"

Here's a couple of other examples of what went on in his jails: "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/keeping-em-in-stitches-6431602" & "http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arpaios-jail-staff-cost-ambrett-spencer-her-baby-and-shes-not-the-only-one-6433038"

MORE (now without links)

-- He ran an ongoing "mugshot of the day" contest on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website.
-- He arrested New Times reporters for covering him. They won a $3.75 million settlement for that.
-- Under him, the MCSO failed to investigate hundreds of sex abuse cases, many of which involved children.
-- But he somehow found time and money to send a deputy to Hawaii to look for Barack Obama's birth certificate.
-- One time he staged an assassination attempt against himself! So naturally, he hired a PI to investigate the judge and his wife.

He also kept on profiling people, which is why he got charged with contempt of court (and was found to be guilty)



Jim at said...

"He was told to stop violating Americans 4th Amendment rights..."

Illegal aliens are not Americans.
Nor are they entitled to 4th Amendment rights.

Win.

Brookzene said...

Nor are they entitled to 4th Amendment rights.

There was no way he could no for sure they weren't citizens.