Update: Arizona detention officer spared from jail because judge “screwed up”.
By Carlos Miller
Defying a court order, Maricopa County detention officer Adam Stoddard said he would rather go to jail than apologize for swiping a defense attorney’s court file.
Now it’s up Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe to follow through on his contempt of court finding against Stoddard and place him in jail.
However, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio – who runs the jails – has vowed to challenge the order if it comes down to that.
The original incident occurred in October as defense attorney Joanne Cuccia was defending her client at the podium. It was captured in the video below.
On November 17, Donahoe found Stoddard in contempt of court and ordered him to issue a public apology to Cuccia by Dec. 1.
Monday night, on the eve before the deadline, Arpaio asked for an extension to the deadline to prepare an appeal, according to Heat City, which has done an excellent job of covering this debacle.
Donahoe refused the extension.
Then, when it appeared that Stoddard was not going to call a press conference for his public apology, he called an impromptu press conference at 8:30 p.m. Monday night – to state that he wasn’t going to apologize.
This news was first broken on Heat City reporter Nick Martin’s Twitter feed Monday night.
Stoddard was defiant, saying he would rather go to jail than apologize for doing his job.
Martin then fleshed out the story today on Heat City.
In the above CBS video, Stoddard reads from a prepared statement, saying he had a security concern when he pulled the document out of the court file, which blatantly violated the sacred attorney-client privilege.
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56 responses so far ↓
1 JR // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:22 AM
Adam and Joe have abondoned to enforce the rules and laws put in place in favor of enforcing their own personal interests. Public knows this and does nothing?
2 Carlos Miller // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:24 AM
The public wants to make Arpaio governor.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/319128
3 JR // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:54 AM
Even after they brake the rules. Amazing ignorance from the public.
4 Paul // Dec 1, 2009 at 8:04 AM
The fact of the matter is that NO JUDGE will allow his decisions to go un-enforced. This is a test of wills, and Joe will lose, and it will be nasty.
5 John WOods // Dec 1, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Wow what a joke. These idiots really do think they are above the law. Personally, I am surprised someone hasnt taken this Arpaio punk out yet!
RT
http://www.web-anonymity.de.tc
6 Bob // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Joe Arpaio belongs in pink underwear at Tent City. Start breakin’ rocks biotch!
7 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Carlos,
I see three factors in the public endorsement of Arpaio:
1. He’s tough on crime, demonstrably so. He does seemingly cross the line too often though.
2. He is viewed as doing something about illegal immigration (I have no idea how you don’t racially profile with regard to illegals in Arizona, almost all are from Mexico and Guatemala, with only a smatter of Canadians. Still, I have sympathy for American Latinos and Latinas, they shouldn’t have to suffer Cheech’s “Born in East LA”.)
3. The current state of AZ gov and politics is just a mess, in every way including the budget.
Arpaio offers a simple, even simplistic, solution to most things. Given that most Americans only at most give lip-service to civil liberties, until they are bitten on the ass, Arpaio’s “Toughest Sheriff in America” gives him a lot of political capital with the voters.
Bob, it’s “be-atch”, usually spelled “beatch”, not “biotch”. Hey, just sayin’ if you want to be cool… :>)
8 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:55 PM
One last thing, Stoddard wasn’t doing his job, he was doing violence to his job.
Liddy’s “no due process” and “case before a jury” are simply silly when applied to contempt of court charges by a judge. Looney Tunes, th-th-tha-that’s all folks!
9 mepsipax // Dec 1, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Wow, people are just noticing these guys know they are above the law. Checks and balances my ass.
10 steveo // Dec 1, 2009 at 1:21 PM
are there real humans in Arizona or have they been planted there by aliens?
11 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Steveo,
About 3.5 million real human beings in Maricopa County. Don’t forget, these things go on in LA, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, NYC, Seattle, etc., just depends on which year. Going by Packratt’s statistics, Phoenix Metro (almost the same as Maricopa County these days) isn’t any worse than most other metro areas. Just more colorful.
12 mepsipax // Dec 1, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Just doing his job? Inspecting documents? Ordered you. The same way you order people. It’s his job now do yours. Coward.
13 Rob Molecule // Dec 1, 2009 at 5:27 PM
I still don’t think it’s right that a judge can force someone to say anything. What happened to the right to remain silent. If this guy did do something illegal, then charge him with that. Also, couldn’t an apology be self-incrimination?
14 bullsballs // Dec 1, 2009 at 6:08 PM
When the law is unenforced, and broken as it is in AZ, then there is no law.
Aim for the head as they wear body armor!
15 Obbop // Dec 1, 2009 at 6:09 PM
I believe many USA citizens have lost faith in the present legal system.
The judges have become too powerful and have lawyers.
The law is supposed to meet the needs of the masses.
The “law” and those involved with the legal system have been found, too often, to be more interested in creating wealth, fame and fortune for themselves than doing all that is possible to separate the innocent from the guilty.
It appears the present adversarial system was designed to increase lawyer wealth than to weed out the inocent.
16 RememberingLiberty // Dec 1, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Ah, another shining example of the fall and decay of the American Empire Inc.
Lawyers = worthless vulture criminals
Judges = bought and paid for by the wealthy
Police(pigs) = unchecked ruthless gang of well armed violent homicidal thugs
The rest = victims of oppression and vanishing liberty
The complete destruction of the Constitution has been happening for years. Alas, so long as Americans have their fast food and shiny objects and store shelfs stocked with worthless idols they could care less. Not even a flimsy excuse enrages the obese masses anymore. Security? Sure buddy, that man in shackles was a known hyper professional origami specialist about to turn those pieces of papers into lethal paper throwing stars capable of causing a slight welt at a distance of no greater than 18 inches.
Turned tables, your door would be kicked in and you and anybody in your house shot at then tasered before subjected to a savage beating before being cuffed and shackled and thrown into the door frame of a car a few times before kicked into the back of that cruiser. That is if you made it home, likely you would have been beaten to death for even standing up and never made it close to a file like that.
But so long as the public bends over and wiggles their ass, this will keep happening. Arapio knows he has the support of the public because no massive mobs have marched on the capital demanding his resignation and arrest as quickly as he would anybody else. He doesn’t just enforce the law. He IS the law as HE sees fit. Anybody else see how sick that is?
17 Long_Time_Reader // Dec 1, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Great followup, just heard that Joe’s going to let him go to jail but appeal. He’s stepped farther than he thought this time.
Also, congratulations! You’ve been linked on Fark.com, *and* your server hasn’t been “farked.” There’s more than 200 comments so far, pretty decent:
http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4812842
I’d been hoping for awhile you’d be picked up by them. Just like the anchorwoman in the above BBC video, regular people are waking up to this stuff.
18 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 7:08 PM
Moderation seems to be slowing “conversation” down a bit. I’m replying to the e-mail notifications I’ve been getting.
1. Donahoe has sentenced Stoddard to jail. The apology was an out, since remorse for a criminal act is considered in sentencing.
2. Advocating the killing of any citizen, whether cop, suspect, or otherwise without due process of law, is despicable. Sick. Period.
3. Calling cops PIGS is also despicable. Cops calling citizens cockroaches, for example, is despicable too.
Dehumanizing people so that you can brutalize them, or advocate brutalizing them, is despicable. Period.
We fought a goddamn World War against people that made dehumanizing a way of life. Did you miss that?
19 GoMoJo // Dec 1, 2009 at 7:24 PM
The policemen should be careful. Citizens are getting fed up with the police. Up here in Washington five of them have been killed in the last month. I think they need to balance safety and their public persona.
20 Stinky Pete // Dec 1, 2009 at 7:26 PM
“Bob, it’s “be-atch”, usually spelled “beatch”, not “biotch”. Hey, just sayin’ if you want to be cool… :>)”
It’s biotch, biotch. Only a biotch would spell it any different.
Now whose cool?
21 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Sorry Stinky Pete,
but the “original” from Snoop Doggie Dog was beatch. It likely goes back to Italian mafia slang, but I can’t find a reference. But that’s okay, people thought they were “hip” but didn’t realize they weren’t “hep”. Just sayin…
22 shiva7663 // Dec 1, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Wait, isn’t this theft of evidence a clear example of obstruction of justice?
23 CruiserTwelve // Dec 1, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Don’t want that sheet of paper committing an act of domestic terrorism now do we.
24 Craig Joke // Dec 1, 2009 at 8:57 PM
This is not a matter of “theft of evidence” as some have suggested. Nor is this a matter that an apology can fix. There were clearly no security concerns on the part of the officer. Watch the video. The paper he takes is from the middle of a stack of papers in the attorney’s file. There is no way he could see what was on the paper without removing papers on top of it.
We live in a country where the government prosecutes you in the name of the people. You are allowed a defender. Your defender and you are entitled to confidence. The deputy did not have to take the paper to commit a grave sin. Merely by reading papers in an attorney’s file, he breached attorney client privilege and should be fired for it.
On the off chance (There is no chance) that it is believable that he thought he saw something from the other side of the court room that was a security threat, he should have informed the court. That paper was in an attorney’s file. If an attorney beleives that there is an imminent danger that her client will cause serious bodily injury to another, they have a duty to break confidence. This attorney did no such thing, further indicating that no security threat was posed.
When the government denies you the privilege with your attorney that you are entitled to, they deny you fair trial. This case should be thrown out, and this “officer” should be fired, and subjected to civil remedy. Of course I hold my breath for neither of these to happen.
25 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:13 PM
“Of course I hold my breath for neither of these to happen.”
Good, because you would turn blue and require CPR. Stoddard said he couldn’t lie therefore he couldn’t apologize, yet his entire excuse for pulling the paper(s) was an obvious lie.
26 CR // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:18 PM
People here seem to forget that the defedant is a member of the mexican mafia. The deputy was just trying to keep the courtroom safe.
27 Craig Joke // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:24 PM
Yes, Ariel, but there should be an ability to get around qualified immunity in such cases. I don’t know what you could do for damages in the slim chance you were to prevail on such a claim, but why not try? Where the hell is the ACLU? I cannot understand why the attorney in this case seems content with an apology.
28 Ariel // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:24 PM
CR,
Are you actually serious? Please tell me I’m missing the sarcasm.
29 Jay // Dec 1, 2009 at 9:32 PM
If a non-deputy in that courtroom did what the deputy did, they’d probably have been tased and most definitely arrested on multiple counts of whatever could be thought up.
The deputy should be fired and thrown in jail.
30 Just Sayin' // Dec 1, 2009 at 10:58 PM
The cop can seize the papers, warrant or no warrant, but he can NOT use them, or any information derived from them in the case, or any other.
31 Craig Joke // Dec 1, 2009 at 11:18 PM
How can cops seize papers from an attorney? Do you have any law to back up that assertion?
32 Barry // Dec 2, 2009 at 12:28 AM
A lot of you ignorant dumbasses apparently don’t know about the right of an individual to conscientiously object to the orders of a court if that individual doesn’t agree with the ruling!
Just because a judge orders something doesn’t mean the judge is RIGHT in doing so! It is up to the individual to decide whether or not the law is being upheld, or a judge is enforcing their own will using the court as his or her platform.
Joe Arpaio is a HERO, and Mr. Stoddard is simply standing up for what he thinks is right, instead of bowing to the whim of an incompetent judge!
But you ignoramous IDIOTS who want them thrown in jail are obviously arrogantly incompetent yourselves, and have no business commenting in this thread in the first place!
33 Jon Quimbly // Dec 2, 2009 at 12:29 AM
@Ariel-
The Maricopa County Sherriff’s Department has spent tens of millions paying for civil rights lawsuits it has lost. Current estimates are north of $50 million during his tenure.
Maricopa County’s latinos make up over 25% of the population. Arpaio’s cops have pulled over, harrassed, and detained many citizens and legal residents. After investigating the Sherriff’s department for racial profiling, DOJ eliminated Arpaio’s powers to seek out and arrest illegal immigrants. Bad boys don’t get to conduct immigration raids, no sir.
You’re not from a northern city, I can tell. Lots of Canadian illegals here in NYC. Nobody minds them because they speak perfect English, and they … blend in. You might racially profile them by listening for the extra “aye” they like to throw in at the ends of sentences, or monitor the late-night poutineries (we’ve got two.)
How can you equate petty name-calling with the insane atrocities that cost tens of millions their lives? That’s just crazy. That also earns you a Godwin’s Law bell-ring.
There’s too much power given to the all-too-human police force, and when bad cops abuse that power and dehumanize us, they’ve earned more than name-calling. But when you can’t fight back, calling the frakking pigs names brings some gods-damned satisfaction.
34 Frank // Dec 2, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Stoddard surrendered at 6pm local time.
Guaranteed he’s not going to the tent city nor is he going to wear pink underwear or eat green baloney.
35 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Jon Q,
1. I live in Maricopa County, for over 39 years now. The only break being military service. Thank you for “teaching” me about where I went to HS, College, worked and lived for all that time. Without comparing Arpaio’s tenure to others around the country, I felt the word “seemingly” was appropriate. By the way, the Latino population here decreased slightly because the job market is poor and we now target employers.
2. Dehumanizing is dehumanizing, it isn’t petty name-calling if you begin to believe the label and forget the person. Pig or cockroach. I see it on too many blogs to ignore it. While Godwin’s Law is all nice, I was actually thinking of the Japanese militarists, comes from rendering honors to the USS Arizona at Pearl. And no I wasn’t equating it with the atrocities, as you did, but I was with the mindset because that is where the mindset ultimately leads. The same mindset the KKK had for example. People that make a habit of doing that are following a fine tradition, eh?
3. Napolitano and Arpaio are old enemies. Something was expected. Not that Arpaio wasn’t asking for it given how he has treated American Latinos. Born in East LA.
Bad cops are bad cops. Good cops are not. I have family that are cops. Need I say more?
36 Jon // Dec 2, 2009 at 4:39 AM
Ariel
It’s Biotch, Biotch!
It’s not original to Snoop Doggie Dog[sic], but to Too Short, from his first album in 1983. A full 10 years prior to Snoop Doggy Dogg released his first album.
Oh, and Snoop simplified his name to Snoop Dogg 11 years ago, and changed it again to Niggarachi in September of this year.
How “hep” were you again?
37 Jon // Dec 2, 2009 at 4:42 AM
Oh, and it is wrong to call cops “pigs”.
Calling them “flies” is so much more fitting, since all they do is eat shit and bother people.
38 So She Says // Dec 2, 2009 at 5:21 AM
So Ariel,
Bad cops are bad cops. Good cops are not. And you’ve got family members that are cops.
Even if your family members that are cops fit into the bad cops category, you seem like the type that will overlook the laws they break and still claim they’re “good” because they’re family.
Laughable.
39 indio007 // Dec 2, 2009 at 9:37 AM
Wasn’t the defendant, that had his attorney’s papers swiped, ligating against the sheriff civilly in a separate case? or a witness or something?
40 I don't have a darn name // Dec 2, 2009 at 10:44 AM
I think Jon Q did not realize that Ariel was describing the views of the voters that keep the sheriff in office and threaten to make him governor, and responded as if the views were Ariel’s. If Jon did realize, he might have phrased his response a bit less bluntly.
Barry, I’d sure like to know who’s filling your head.
41 Bizzatches // Dec 2, 2009 at 11:13 AM
When you’re dealing with made up slang words, I think variants in spelling are accepted.
I will, however, spell it however the eff I want, biatches.
42 luke // Dec 2, 2009 at 11:49 AM
I was once assaulted in minneapolis, mn by african american police officers, for taking a picture of there illegally parked personal vehicles , they saw me take the picture and came over grabbed me by the jacket. broke my jacket zipper, and threaten me with jail. if i didn’t give them my camera. they were still in uniform at a bar… i deleted the pictures and left. To this day i wish i would have filled a report against those pricks. it was only 2 years ago maybe i still can.
43 Javier // Dec 2, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Detention Officer Adam Stoddard is a hottie. Ruff!
44 John and Dagny Galt // Dec 2, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters of Liberty,
There are only two types of human beings.
One type just wants everyone to leave everyone else alone and these humans are students and advocates of the Philosophically Mature Non-Aggression Principle.
The other type refuses to leave others alone and these humans are the Mobocracy Looter Minions with their hords of bureaucrats, jackboots, and mercenaries that perpetuate the perpetration of the loot and booty gravy-train. Rob-peter-to-buy-paul’s-vote bread and circuses of the doomed Amerikan Empire.
You are either the one…or the other.
The John Galt Solution of Starving The Monkeys is the only solution. Stop funding and forging your own chains and shackles. What are you leaving for your children, grandchildren, and humanity!?!
The Mobocracy Looter Minions must be allowed to consume everything around them, then each other, and finally themselves. There is no other way. Ayn Rand wrote about it over fifty years ago and it rings as soundly today as it did then.
Get your copy of Starving The Monkeys by Tom Baugh today, before the book is banned and the author is hunted down and Vince Fostered!
Sincerely,
John and Dagny Galt
Atlas Shrugged, Owner’s Manual For The Universe!(tm)
http://www.starvingthemonkeys.com/
http://voluntaryist.com/fundamentals/introduction.php
http://marcstevens.net/
http://www.freedomainradio.com/
.
45 elizabeth brooks // Dec 2, 2009 at 3:26 PM
Fire the goofball and the retard sheriff who grandizes himself. Deputy Fife was not only taking direction from someone off camera, but was not doing his real job which is to be vigilant for a security crisis. He was too busy snooping for crap that has nothing to do with him. FIRE him. No questions needed. He abandoned his post and duty. It’s on video. What a knuckle head. Must have graduated last in his class.
46 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 6:14 PM
So much to say and so little time. But I’ll begin here:
Bizzatches #41
Finally the prize winner. You are the only one to get it right. I had already looked up the variants before I started the OT. I occasionally like to pull chains. A guilty pleasure. I remember hearing “Bee-itch” (as well “Shee-it”) in the Imperial Valley in the 60s, and “bee-atch” is just a vowel change. I still think it has some Italian gangster origins. But no proof. The Biotch variant just looks ignorant to me.
IDHADN #40,
Exactly right. That is what I see in Maricopa County. Arpiao has done some things right but a lot of things wrong. He should not be Sheriff, let alone Governor. But the voters decide. Also, I do prefer to see legal rather than illegal immigration, I am not for Open Borders. The racial profiling bothers me because of what it does to Latino Americans, but I can’t see how you handle it when the vast majority of illegals here are not from the Swedish Bikini Team. I also believe that the USA should look south and west for its future, with stronger ties to Mexico, Brazil (non-latino of course), and Argentina. I preach to my kids to learn Spanish and to be more familiar with Asia.
SSS #38
Given that both Jones and Johnny Law have called me anti-cop (JL called me paranoiac too) and that I have been calling out against police brutality for a long time, your entire post is laughable. I assume it was from a conversation you had with the mirror.
But I won’t call cops pigs. Ever. I hated it in the 60s and I hate it now. Cops are good, bad, and/or flawed. They are people.
I have had guns and shotguns drawn on me, my life threatened, and been in handcuffs. I have seen police brutality, minor but still brutality. I have also had cops protect me from other cops twice in my life. Why would I hate the cops that protected me? People are not symbols. But evil or misguided people turn other people into symbols, then either mindlessly follow those symbols or mindlessly brutalize those symbols. Why would you ever want to be that kind of person?
Jon #37, just read the above. I do realize you see it as venting.
If I thought Carlos was anti-cop, I wouldn’t come here. He’d be part of the problem not part of the solution.
Police culture needs to change. The Internet is the only hope to change minds. The MSM has proven itself near worthless in this regard.
47 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 6:53 PM
By the way, tonight on A&E there are two shows on Steven Seagal as a deputy. He teaches techniques on how to be less violent while still accomplishing the ultimate power of the Police: the handcuff. Too many cops think its the gun. It isn’t, it’s the handcuff.
48 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Craig Joke #27,
Personally, I think a lot of this absolute immunity for prosecutors and qualified immunity for cops and bureaucrats needs to be defined more strictly. Mistakes will happen but knowingly doing it is a different matter, even ignorance of common knowledge is not an excuse (I’m being nuanced here, whatever the hell that means. I am drawn to the same standard applied to the rest of us, ignorance is no excuse.) For Prosecutors: knowingly withholding evidence, or falsifying in anyway, should be criminal. Period. For LEOs: falsifying reports or perjury, and clear excessive force, should remove their certification forever. Period. Acts that are not established law, in other words ambiguous, should not.
Neither group has a right to their job, or a right not to live in disgrace. Police unions need to be reigned in or dissolved when they support liars or perjurers. The technicalities need to go.
Sorry I took so long to respond.
49 Jeff // Dec 2, 2009 at 7:45 PM
Jay your an idiot. Learn the law. He had every right to maintain courtroom security!! And detention officers are not sworn. What law did he break?? Thrown in jail!! you got to be kidding me!!
50 Jeff // Dec 2, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Dang its a good thing some of you guys are not cops. You guys belong in Washington with pelosi destroying our country!!!
51 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Jeff,
You’re totally right. Those papers represented an immediate lethal hazard to everyone in that courtroom and building. He saw that dangerous paper from 5 to 8 feet, one he hadn’t seen before, and then only had to rifle through them to find the right one. Yep, he was upholding Truth, Justice, and the American way.
I actually believe in those last few words, Grand Experiment and all that, but you don’t.
Bugs Bunny had a word for you.
52 Ariel // Dec 2, 2009 at 8:01 PM
I actually agree with you that Pelosi is not doing the best for our country, too partisan. But then, you aren’t doing the best for our country either. Figured out the Bugs Bunny word yet? Starts with “M”.
53 Ariel // Dec 3, 2009 at 9:45 PM
Ok, I’ll strike the word “seemingly” from my post #7. Arpaio is running at about 50 times the rate of most other jurisdiction for inmate lawsuits. The politic shenanigans that goes on here is par for the course. If it isn’t the Sheriff’s office, it’s the Attorney’s Office (pick any one at any one time), if it’s neither, it’s the Legislature, if not them, the Governor. But Arpaio’s is writ large, and usually pretty silly. He has filed a federal Lawsuit against AZ on conspiracy regarding Stoddard.
The Sonoran desert is beautiful, as well the Mogollon Rim. Sigh…
Anyone for popcorn? It’s going to be a long show.
54 Craig Joke // Dec 4, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Because of the deputy being jailed, most of the court security guards called in sick. Then the courthouse had to be evacuated due to a bomb threat. Arpaio has some classy folks working for him, doesnt he
55 MarK Darvin // Apr 1, 2010 at 8:13 AM
This is a really good post and something I never thought about, but I do recall a few eatery charges on my credit card that seemed to be much higher than I recalled spending. Well I think I will make an effort to bring enuf cash for tipping from now on if possible!
MarK Darvin´s last blog ..Three simple rules of personal finance.
56 Tina // Apr 7, 2010 at 8:06 AM
I actually agree with you that Pelosi is not doing the best for our country, too partisan. But then, you aren’t doing the best for our country either. Figured out the Bugs Bunny word yet? Starts with “M”.
Tina´s last blog ..Widespread myths and the errors connected with contact lenses
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