Federal judge upholds Trump’s pardon of Arpaio, dismisses conviction
Oct 4, 2017, 11:27 AM | Updated: 12:00 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
PHOENIX — A federal judge upheld President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Wednesday, dashing the long-shot hopes of some of his critics.
Some Democrats and law firms had called for U.S. Judge Susan Bolton to declare the pardon invalid, though experts had said that was unlikely. The Department of Justice had said it supported the pardon.
Arpaio attorney Jack Wilenchik said efforts by outside advocacy groups were a politically motivated waste of time.
“I think the judge appreciates that she has to honor a pardon,” Wilenchik said.
Bolton’s decision means the conviction against Arpaio was formally dismissed. She was still mulling a request from his attorneys to wipe all her rulings from the record.
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The hearing came five weeks after Trump pardoned Arpaio’s conviction for disobeying a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.
Trump defended the controversial pardon, saying Arpaio done a “great job for the people of Arizona” and argued that he’d been treated “unbelievable unfairly” by the Obama administration.
“He’s done a great job for the people of Arizona. He is very strong on borders, very strong on illegal immigration. He is loved in Arizona,” Trump said.
Arpaio’s case has cost Maricopa County taxpayers a pretty penny. Earlier this year, it was estimated that court costs in his case would be nearly $100 million.
Last week, the county earmarked $1 million to pay people who were illegally detained by Arpaio’s deputies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
