Friday, October 20, 2017

Despite Pardon, Arpaio's Conviction Stands

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Last July Federal Judge Susan Bolton found Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, guilty of willfully violating a 2011 court order that he and his department quit racial profiling.   The geriatric bigot was in some danger of being sent to prison for his open contempt of the judicial order, but before a sentence could be handed down another bigot interceded on Arpaio's behalf and "pardoned" him.

This week Old Joe apparently decided that bring forgiven with a "pardon" was not enough, and he wanted the conviction expunged from his record as well.  He is, after all, the Joe Arpaio.  But Judge Bolton wasn't having it.  She rebuffed Arpaio's quest to clean his record with this smart summation:

“The Court found Defendant guilty of criminal contempt. The President issued the pardon. Defendant accepted. The pardon undoubtedly spared defendant from any punishment that might otherwise have been imposed. It did not, however, revise the historical facts of this case.”

So put that in your pipe and smoke it, Joe.  Trump may be able to use the power of his office to keep you out of prison - or better yet, Tent City - but not even he can rewrite your sordid history!

No one is above the law, not even the Sheriff of Maricopa County.

Good call, Judge Bolton! 

1 comment:

Xobekim said...

Acceptance of a pardon is prima facie evidence of guilt.