PHOENIX (AP) - A judge has rejected former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s request to bar prosecutors at his upcoming criminal trial from mentioning that he had previously acknowledged committing civil contempt-of-court.
Arpaio is scheduled for trial on June 26 on a criminal contempt charge for defying a judge’s order in a racial profiling case to stop his immigration patrols.
Two years ago, Arpaio acknowledged a civil contempt violation for prolonging the patrols in hopes of ending his contempt case, but the strategy didn’t work.
Arpaio was charged last year with criminal contempt.
He insists he didn’t intentionally disobey the order.
Arpaio claimed he was coerced into making the acknowledgement and that his lawyers at the time didn’t tell him that he would be vulnerable to criminal charges.
Prosecutors say Arpaio made the acknowledgement voluntarily.
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