AP (Arizona)
July 24, 2015
U.S.
Marshal for Arizona David Gonzales confirms for 12 News he got the
order from U.S. District Judge Murray Snow to enter Maricopa County
Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office
in downtown Phoenix Friday afternoon. The order lists the seizure of 50
hard drives and 1500 ID's that were seized during traffic stops by the
Sheriff's Office.
Gonzales said six Marshals were sent inside the Sheriff's Office and he called the operation, "very sensitive."
Meanwhile
in court Friday, Judge Snow chastised Arpaio's attorneys for failing to
hand over records in a racial profiling case and then issued the order
for federal officers
to seize the documents at the Sheriff's Office, some of which were
slated to be destroyed.
Snow
called an emergency hearing Friday after a court-appointed monitor
learned the Sheriff's Office had failed to hand over IDs that are part
of a misconduct investigation
into allegations that deputies regularly pocketed items during busts.
Arpaio attorney John Masterson said the court had no evidence the IDs were kept improperly by Arpaio's office.
American
Civil Liberties Union attorney Dan Pochoda said Friday the seized
evidence dates back to 2006. Pochoda said the material includes hard
drives connected to the
sheriff's confidential informant Dennis Montgomery. Montgomery, a
Seattle, WA., man, was allegedly hired by Arpaio to eavesdrop on Judge
Snow's wife after she was reportedly heard saying prejudicial statements
about the sheriff at a restaurant during the 2012
election.
Arpaio didn't attend Friday's federal court hearing.
The
Sheriff's Office had a brief comment on the fed's actions. In a news
release, the Sheriff's Office said, "It's inappropriate for the Maricopa
County Sheriff's Office
to comment further at this time. However, the truth will come out
during the hearing process."
Stay with 12 News as we follow developments on this story.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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