Weekend wrap-up: Biggest Arizona-related stories from this past weekend
Jan 21, 2018, 5:22 PM
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, second from right, leaves U.S. District Court on the first day of his contempt-of-court trial with attorney Mark Goldman, left, Monday, June 26, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX — It’s Sunday, so you know what that means.
This past weekend saw a whole host of national news, including the first shutdown of the federal government since 2013.
However, Arizona did get its share: U.S. Senate candidate Joe Arpaio filed an appeal to get his contempt of court conviction overturned, an Arizona Diamondbacks player was arrested and thousands marched in support of women and other minority communities.
Here are some of the biggest stories, both in Arizona and nationwide, from this past weekend.
Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfielder Yasmany Tomas arrested in Valley
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Yasmany Tomas was arrested for going more than 100 mph on a Valley freeway, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
Tomas was allegedly driving 105 mph on the northbound Loop 101. He was pulled over at 9:26 a.m. Thursday near Baseline Road on the border of Tempe and Mesa.
He was charged with reckless driving and criminal speeding.
Surprise police failed to notify residents of 22 sex offenders in area
Law enforcement officials in a northwest Phoenix suburb said Thursday they had failed to notify residents of 22 sex offenders who had moved in the area between 2016 and 2017.
The Surprise Police Department became aware of a situation in December regarding how the department processed sex offender notifications. That discovery uncovered 22 community notifications that were not completed.
There were also 10 more people who hadn’t been evaluated to determine whether the community should be notified that an offender was living in their neighborhood.
Joe Arpaio files appeal to undo contempt of court conviction
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has filed an appeal to undo his criminal contempt of court conviction.
Arpaio’s appeal argues that the pardon he received from President Donald Trump made his case moot before the official appeals process began, and that the conviction should have been removed automatically.
He also claims in the appeal that U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton “refused to give the Sheriff a trial by jury,” and that her “verdict was completely unsupported by the evidence, among numerous other reasons.”
US government shuts down; Dems, GOP blame each other
The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday, halting all but the most essential operations and marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration in a striking display of Washington dysfunction.
Last-minute negotiations crumbled as Senate Democrats blocked a four-week stopgap extension in a late-night vote, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter century.
Behind the scenes, however, leading Republicans and Democrats were already moving toward a next step, trying to work out a compromise to avert a lengthy shutdown.
At least 7 Women’s Marches scheduled around Arizona
From Flagstaff to Nogales, at least seven anniversary Women’s Marches and rallies are scheduled around Arizona.
About 20,000 people are expected for Sunday’s two-mile march that will begin and end at the State Capitol.
The marches and rallies in Arizona and around the country are in support of female empowerment and denouncing President Donald Trump’s views on immigration, abortion, LGBT rights and women’s rights.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
