Judge Rejects Maricopa County's Bid to End 12 Years of Federal Oversight

Maricopa County pushes to end 12+ years of costly federal oversight of its sheriff's office after a judge rejected the county's latest bid — with one supervisor ready to fight it to the Supreme Court. The ruling: U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow rejected Maricopa County's motion (filed in December) to vacate federal court oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, ruling the county hasn't shown its reforms are durable enough to prevent a return to past violations. The judge did note a framework for potentially eliminating some parts of the order going forward. The cost: Supervisors say the oversight — which includes court-appointed monitor Robert Warshaw, in place since 2014 and costing the county $2M+ annually — has totaled more than $350 million since 2013, or $20-30 million per year. The county maintains 90+ internal affairs officers, at an estimated $150,000 salary each, partly to manage compliance. The history: Federal oversight began after a 2007 class-action lawsuit found the sheriff's office under Joe Arpaio engaged in racial profiling and illegal traffic stops against Latino residents — findings some, including Arizona state Sen. Anna Hernandez, say still resonate in affected communities today. What's next: Supervisors Thomas Galvin and Mark Stewart say an appeal is the likely next step, with Galvin prepared to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Rep. Andy Biggs, running for Arizona governor, wants Judge Snow recused from the case and backs a federal bill (passed by the House, stalled in the Senate) that would cap court-monitor terms and add case-transfer rules. Gov. Katie Hobbs' office did not respond to a request for comment. Should this federal oversight end to save taxpayer money, or does it remain necessary? Leave your thoughts in the comments. #Arizona #MaricopaCounty #LawEnforcement #CenterSquare #TheStates