Silly Arizona Republic editorial glosses over criminal issues in racketeering complaint

The Arizona Republic wrote an editorial yesterday entitled, "Dear Judge, Toss aside case from Arpaio, Thomas." Besides the obvious fact it is inappropriate for a newspaper to tell a judge how to handle a case, especially a high-profile criminal case, it is pretty clear from the editorial that no one bothered to even read the racketeering complaint. No wonder the Republic's circulation keeps tanking, in Journalism 101 they teach you to read about the subject you're going to write on. Instead, it's quite clear they knew what they were going to write before they ever read the facts. It has become painfully obvious that the Republic's editorial board and reporter Yvonne Wingett are essentially writing press releases for the Supervisors, there is no objectivity in their articles.

If the editorial board had actually read the complaint, they might have expressed a little concern over what's really happening: the Board of Supervisors is stonewalling Arpaio's and Thomas's efforts to prosecute two of their own for felonies, and they are protecting them by buying off the Superior Court through promising them a $341 million brand-new court tower with penthouse quarters for judges. Their attorney, Tom Irvine, is also the attorney for the Superior Court, a blatant conflict of interest that any 1st year law student could spot. And they're using our tax dollars to do all of this. Our tax dollars are funding their stonewalling efforts, Tom Irvine, and their new Shadow County Attorney's Office they've set up.

What would the Republic's editorial board like to happen instead? Dismiss the criminal complaints against Supervisors Stapley and Wilcox and let them walk around without ever being held accountable? Without laws and the enforcement of laws in society, we have chaos. Now we hear that Stapley is going to be promoted to chairman of the Board of Supervisors! Enough is enough. Irvine should have his bar license removed and should be required to reimburse the taxpayers for the millions of dollars he's taken in within the past couple of years from the Supervisors and the Superior Court.