Tagged: Joe Arpaio

A class action lawsuit that goes to trial in Phoenix today will bring more attention to the tactics of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The Arizona sheriff has been vocal that cracking down on illegal immigrants is among his top priorities. Plaintiffs claim Arpaio and his deputies discriminate against Latinos.

Every Latino motorist who has been stopped by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office since 2007 or will be stopped in the future is included in the class action suit.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett said today he will not verify the birth records of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, at least not now -- and possibly not ever -- despite an earlier public commitment to do so. 

The U-S Justice Department today filed a federal lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, his office and the county. The suit accuses Arpaio and the sheriff’s office of discriminatory and unconstitutional law enforcement practices. From Phoenix, Mark Brodie reports.

Governor Jan Brewer said today she's not buying the arguments by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio that there are questions about whether President Obama was born in this country. 

The sheriff concluded last week that a forensic examination proves that an electronic copy of the president's birth certificate offered by the White House is not authentic. And he said Obama's selective service registration card also appears to be forged. Arpaio said that, coupled with other information, suggests Obama was not, in fact, born in Hawaii as claimed. Brewer said she's not buying it.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio claimed this afternoon that President Obama's birth certificate is a fraud.

After tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Obama heads west to five states that will be key to his re-election next year. One of his first stops - Wednesday afternoon --  will be in the Phoenix area. In 2008, the president largely ignored the home turf of his opponent, John McCain. But as Peter O’Dowd reports, the political winds in this historically conservative state are swirling.

Call it volatility. Call it turmoil. Or just call it momentum. Whatever it is, President Obama, and a less famous guy named Mike Stauffer, want to build on it.