Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for disobeying a court order demanding that he stop profiling Latinos, on Monday, July 31.
Arpaio had been in court fighting a case involving a judgment ruled by U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow, who in 2011 ordered the Maricopa County Sheriff to stop traffic patrols he had enstated in an effort to target immigrants for deportation. On Monday U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton found that Arpaio had defiantly continued to orchestrate the stops for months after the order. The prosecution had successfully convinced Bolton that Arpaio's claim that he hadn't intentionally violated the ruling by pointing out how he used the program to boost his anti-immigration rhetoric during his 2012 reelection campaign.
Arpaio, who lost his seat last November, headed the county sheriff's department for six-terms, over which time he had gained a reputation for arresting hundreds of undocumented immigrants in raids on residences and businesses. He would eventually come to be known as "America's toughest sheriff," and became one of the most notable figures in the Tea Party movement that eventually hoisted Donald Trump to the office of Presidency in 2017.
Arpaio's sentencing is scheduled for October 5. He faces six years behind bars, although legal experts have begun to contend that he may be pardoned from any prison time due to his age.
Source: nydailynews.com
