/ Modified mar 11, 2021 4:50 p.m.

Contempt hearing sought against Joe Arpaio’s successor

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone accused of non-compliance

Paul Penzone Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone in Phoenix, April 2018.
Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Civil rights lawyers are seeking a civil contempt of court hearing against metro Phoenix’s sheriff for a backlog of 2,000 internal affairs investigations each taking an average of 500 days to complete.

Sheriff Paul Penzone is the second Maricopa County sheriff to be accused of noncompliance in a racial profiling case in which a judge ordered an overhaul to the agency’s much-criticized internal affairs operations.

Penzone's predecessor, Joe Arpaio, was found to be in contempt for ignoring a 2011 order in the profiling case, but his criminal contempt conviction was pardoned by then-President Donald Trump.

Penzone’s office declined to comment on the contempt

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona