PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s trial on a criminal contempt-of-court charge for disobeying a 2011 court order (all times local):
6 p.m.
Lawyers for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio have filed a motion in federal court seeking a judgment of acquittal in his criminal contempt-of-court case.
The motion was filed Thursday evening, hours after the fourth day of testimony at Arpaio’s trial over his defiance of a judge’s 2011 order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.
Arpaio’s attorneys say the case “is well beyond the one-year statute of limitations” and that the former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix “has been wrongfully deprived of a trial by jury.”
Prosecutors must prove the 85-year-old Arpaio intentionally violated the order to win a conviction.
If convicted, the retired lawman would face up to six month in jail although lawyers who have followed the case doubt he’ll ever be incarcerated.
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3 p.m.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys have rested their cases at former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s criminal trial for his disobedience of a court order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.
The lawyers now are scheduled to make closing arguments on July 6.
The 85-year-old Arpaio is a former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix.
He faces a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for prolonging his immigration patrols for 17 months after a judge in a racial profiling case had ordered them stopped.
Arpaio has acknowledged prolonging the patrols, but insists his disobedience was unintentional. He didn’t testify in his own defense.
Prosecutors didn’t follow through Thursday on plans to call two people to testify who had been illegally detained when Arpaio prolonged his patrols.
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1 p.m.
A former leader of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration enforcement squad says he didn’t believe his officers did anything to require a judge to issue an order barring the sheriff’s immigration patrols.
Joseph Sousa was the second leader of the squad to testify Thursday at Arpaio’s criminal trial.
Arpaio has acknowledged prolonging his patrols, but says his disobedience was unintentional.
Sousa says he relayed his views to Arpaio and sheriff’s lawyer Tim Casey after the 2011 order was issued.
He couldn’t remember their responses to his opinion, but Sousa said the sheriff and his lawyer didn’t believe he was wrong.
The retired lawman is also blaming the violation on Casey.
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10:45 a.m.
Lawyers defending former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a criminal trial have called a witness who had testified a day earlier for prosecutors.
Arpaio’s legal seem is seeking to turn the tables on prosecutors by bringing Lt. Brian Jakowinicz (jack-uh-WIN-ich) to the stand. The former leader of Arpaio’s immigration squad testified under questioning by the defense that he didn’t read a letter sent to him complaining about officers defying a 2011 court order. The injunction barred the sheriff’s traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.
One day earlier, Jakowinicz described how Arpaio’s deputies continued to arrests immigrants despite the order.
Prosecutors must prove Arpaio intentionally violated the order to win a conviction.
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1:45 a.m.
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio returns to court Thursday for the fourth day of testimony at his criminal trial over his defiance of a judge’s 2011 order.
Arpaio faces a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge over his acknowledged disobedience of a judge’s order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.
Prosecutors must prove Arpaio intentionally violated the order to win a conviction.
Arpaio has acknowledged prolonging the patrols, but said his disobedience was unintentional.
Attorneys defending him started presenting their case Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted, the retired lawman would face up to six month in jail, though lawyers who have followed the case doubt he’ll ever be incarcerated.
It’s not clear whether Arpaio will testify in his own defense.
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