Gordon Thompson
A recent Associated Press investigation documents the abuse nationwide of confidential law enforcement database information by police and other government employees. Public records requests uncovered more than 325 such instances leading to the firing, suspension or resignation of police or state employees between 2013 and 2015 alone. Records provided were reportedly incomplete at best,…
Following a shocking incident September 13th during which a man was told by police to swallow marijuana in order to avoid being arrested and taken to jail, 3 City of Phoenix Police officers have resigned, and a fourth officer has been demoted for not taking appropriate action once he learned of the incident. Phoenix…
The police department at Northern Arizona University has received grants totaling more than $10,000, which is earmarked for staffing and related expenses for the DUI Task Force program. Applications have already been submitted for the same grants for next year which if awarded is intended to further the DUI Task Force program, and a…
Leslie Merritt, Jr., once accused and jailed for 7 months as the suspected I-10 Freeway shooter, last week filed a civil suit in Maricopa County Superior Court against the State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery alleging false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, intentional infliction of…
After legal battles lasting six years, and after much of the original legislation has been struck down in federal courts, an agreement has been reached between Arizona and immigrant rights groups in regard to the remnants of Arizona Senate Bill (SB) 1070. Under the terms of the agreement, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich will…
A task force composed of legal experts from around the State this week submitted a report and recommendations to the Arizona Supreme Court geared toward generally reducing the imposition of court fines, fees, and penalties, providing alternatives where there is an inability to pay, and basing decisions about whether a person is eligible for pretrial…
The criminal justice system in America uses court fines and fees as a means of deterring future criminal activity, to recoup some of the public money spent on the court system and related programs, and for victim restitution. However, for those struggling to survive on low-income earnings, court fines and fees can become a…