Sheriff wins in 2 court cases (Joe Arpaio-Phoenix)

[xraodcop]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0512lawsuits0512.html

Judi Villa
The Arizona Republic
May. 12, 2007 12:00 AM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office are not liable in the death of a jail inmate in 2003 or in the beating of a woman after she was released from jail in 2002, two juries decided this week.

Arpaio and his attorneys hailed the back-to-back verdicts on Thursday and Friday as testament to the public's support of how the jails are run and vindication after years of criticism and lawsuits.

"This is a great victory today for this Sheriff's Office, not just the sheriff," Arpaio said Friday. "We won. You can't deny that."

But Joel Robbins, an attorney for the beaten woman, scoffed at that, saying, "Only Sheriff Arpaio could consider it a victory for the safety of the jails that one person was killed and another was beaten."

Phillip Wilson, 36, was being held in Tent City on a probation violation when he was beaten into a coma by several inmates in July 2003. He died four months later.

Wilson reportedly owed money to a drug dealer whose associates also were inmates in Tent City, and the beating may have been a planned hit. Dan Struck, an attorney for Arpaio, said Wilson had been threatened in the days before his attack but didn't tell jail officials that he needed to be protected.

"If Mr. Wilson advised us of any danger, we would have moved him," Arpaio said.

Michael Manning, who represented Wilson's family, said Arpaio had been warned before Wilson's death that the tents were dangerous and was "very fortunate to escape liability here."

In the other case, Christina Jimenez claimed she was badly beaten in December 2002, after she left the Madison Street Jail wearing only the panties and T-shirt she had on when she was arrested. Robbins said the area around the jail was poorly lit and wasn't monitored by surveillance cameras. Sheriff's officials have said the woman left on her own accord before her ride came to pick her up and that she was beaten in an area that was not on or near the jail premises.

Robbins countered that such lawsuits are important "to make sure the Sheriff's Office is running the right way."

Arpaio said he plans to go back to court to recover attorney's costs for both cases, and he vowed to take future cases all the way to trial instead of letting insurance firms settle.

"We're going to fight, and we're going to let the public decide," Arpaio said.

"I'm getting frustrated. I'm getting tired when we do run the most efficient jails in the country."

[PhilipCal]

Well, it's good to see that common sense, and a sense or responsibility are alive in Maricopa County.

[Operator13]

God Bless Sheriff Joe !

[irishdep]

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK SHERIFF! You have support outside of Maricopa county as well.

[katzeyze]

One of the things about good ol' Sheriff Joe is you either love him or loathe him. Personally, I think the man is great. Treats criminals as *gasp* the law breaking, warts on humanity deserve. and looks out for the underdogs (and undercats). The First Avenue Jail was the first “modern” jail in the Valley (back in 1962) and was intended to house an average of 500 inmates and was closed in 1999. In 2000, Sheriff Joe had changed some areas to house animals removed for criminal neglect or abuse by the Animal Cruelty Investigative Unit.

[SRT936]

Between the SCOTUS decision on pursuits and these two decisions, I'm starting to feel a bit of hope that maybe common sense hasn't died out completely. Its about time we started putting the onus on the bad guys again.

[Sunny71]

Christina Jimenez claimed she was badly beaten in December 2002, after she left the Madison Street Jail wearing only the panties and T-shirt she had on when she was arrested. Robbins said the area around the jail was poorly lit and wasn't monitored by surveillance cameras. Sheriff's officials have said the woman left on her own accord before her ride came to pick her up and that she was beaten in an area that was not on or near the jail premises.

I undestand, that according to this article, she left under her own volition, but wouldn't she usually be given something to wear? I'd assume it'd be disorderly, or something, to be walking around in underwear. There were obviously other factors, but that still seems weird.

[taz1802]

I undestand, that according to this article, she left under her own volition, but wouldn't she usually be given something to wear? I'd assume it'd be disorderly, or something, to be walking around in underwear. There were obviously other factors, but that still seems weird.

She didn't wait for her ride....common sense would tell you to wait if your not decently dressed. (oh I forget common sense) Do you expect me as a taxpayer and PO to buy her clothes? If that starts happening everyone we arrest will be half naked just to get new clothes.

[ateamer]

If she didn't want to be released from jail in just a t-shirt and underwear, then she shouldn't have done something to get arrested while dressed like that.