Arpaio Must Stand Trial. 9th Circuit Orders He Go To Trial For Civil Rights Violation, False Arrest
Friday, August 31, 2012 at 11:15PM Not what you might think, but we'll take it.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday reinstated a federal civil rights and conspiracy lawsuit filed by Phoenix New Times owners Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and a special prosecutor appointed by former County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
The claims in the lawsuit date to October 2007, when Lacey and Larkin were arrested in the middle of the night after publishing information in New Times about extensive subpoenas issued by special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik.
A Federal District Court had found that Arpaio and Thomas had 'absolute immunity' from prosecution for these arrests because of their positions as law enforcement officers. The Ninth Circuit disagreed.