Federal judge denies request to end federal oversight of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

A federal judge has denied a request to end federal court supervision of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, ruling the agency has not yet proven that past constitutional violations have been fully fixed or that reforms are durable enough to stand on their own.

In a 72-page ruling issued, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow denied the Motion for Relief from Judgment without prejudice, keeping MCSO under active federal monitoring. Because the ruling was made without prejudice, the county can petition the court again in the future with further evidence.

The decision extends oversight in the long-running Melendres v. Sheridan civil rights lawsuit, which began nearly two decades ago under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The case stems from findings that MCSO engaged in widespread racial profiling of Latino drivers and unconstitutional traffic stops. Subsequent proceedings uncovered compliance failures, evidence withholding, internal affairs manipulation and insufficient discipline of misconduct.

While acknowledging substantial progress made by the agency over the years, Snow noted that unresolved issues surrounding discriminatory policing and internal accountability remain.

Why federal oversight continues

The court highlighted ongoing concerns regarding traffic enforcement disparities in analyses cited by plaintiffs. According to those findings, Hispanic motorists were roughly 40% more likely to be arrested than similarly situated White drivers, twice as likely to experience longer traffic stops and approximately 2.5 times more likely to be searched.

Snow stated that while statistical disparities alone do not automatically prove discrimination, MCSO failed to provide an adequate explanation for why those gaps persist.

Additionally, the ruling raised concerns about the durability of MCSO’s internal discipline system. The court pointed to issues with how misconduct investigations are handled, alleged attempts by command staff to alter disciplinary outcomes and monitor findings that discipline was not consistently or fairly applied.

Snow also noted that Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, who was previously found in civil contempt during earlier phases of the litigation, did not present sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the agency’s internal reforms would endure without outside oversight.

Compliance status and backlog progress

The order acknowledged that MCSO has achieved 100% Phase 1 compliance, meaning required policy changes and training curricula are fully established.

However, operational compliance, how those policies are implemented in daily practice, remains incomplete across multiple court orders:

First Order: 84% operational compliance
Second Order: 79% operational compliance
Third Order: 68% operational compliance
Fourth Order: 75% operational compliance

According to the court-appointed monitor, 156 provisions are currently in full and effective compliance, while 46 provisions remain out of compliance, with several critical items unresolved.

On the internal affairs front, the court recognized significant strides in cutting down a massive backlog of internal misconduct cases. Once exceeding 2,100 open cases, the backlog dropped to roughly 256 cases as of July 2026. The agency is currently projected to clear the remaining backlog in early 2027.

Potential scale-back in monitoring

Despite keeping oversight in place, the court signaled a willingness to streamline supervision.

Snow identified 27 provisions that may be eligible for full termination and 57 provisions that could be placed on an “inactive” monitoring status. The parties were ordered to meet and confer to submit a joint proposal on modifying supervision within 60 days.

County officials and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office respond

In a statement provided, MCSO noted that the original Rule 60(b) motion was filed by Maricopa County before the sheriff’s office later joined it.

“We are disappointed by the Court’s decision because we believe MCSO has implemented durable remedies for violations that occurred 19 years and three administrations ago,” MCSO said.

“At the same time, we are encouraged that the Court has provided a framework on eliminating portions of the Order that are no longer necessary and focusing compliance efforts on the remaining issues to be addressed. This will allow MCSO to focus its resources on achieving full and effective compliance with the remaining requirements. MCSO looks forward to working with the Parties on this process.”

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko released a joint statement expressing disappointment in the ruling and signaling plans to appeal.

“We are disappointed in but not surprised by this decision from Judge Snow, who for more than a dozen years has kept a federal monitor in place over the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office,” Brophy McGee and Lesko said. “Despite three new Sheriffs from both political parties and changes to every disputed policy, the court has maintained an unelected and unaccountable federal monitor over MCSO – creating bureaucracy and regulatory burdens that have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

The board members argued that the cost of monitoring harms broader public safety efforts across the county.

“In December 2025, the Board filed a Rule 60 motion seeking relief from continued federal monitoring based on changed circumstances – namely, the absence of any ongoing constitutional violation,” the statement continued. “While we expected Judge Snow would reject this filing, we are optimistic about our chances with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.”

Related

Phoenix murder fugitive returned after 25 years on runAmkor nearly doubles investment in Peoria advanced packaging facility to $12BWeekend travel alert as construction closes stretches of Loop 101, Loop 202 and SR 51Rack Room Shoes to hold grand opening ceremony at new San Tan Valley storeL’Oréal sued by Arizona over allegations it hid cancer risks of hair productsTres Leches Café shuts down in south Phoenix, plans to close remaining location