Free Republic

They arrived by the busload, handcuffed and shackled, 53 illegal immigrants total. Most said nothing as they walked past the media into the Fourth Avenue Jail, but earlier it was a different story. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says they admitted to paying smugglers up to $2,000 to cross the border into Arizona. Those confessions may have sealed their fate, and set a new precedent if they are charged under the anti-smuggling law. "This won't be the first that we've made arrests under the anti coyote law,” said Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. “But it would be, assuming these are...

Bird in Hand U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton has a rare opportunity to investigate Sheriff Joke. Will he do it? Here's hoping loyalty only runs so far. In the weeks leading up to last September's Republican primary election for sheriff, challenger Dan Saban predicted that someday someone inside Sheriff Joe Arpaio's inner circle would disclose damaging information that would end Arpaio's political career. Might that day soon arrive? Federal prosecutors now have a rare opportunity to obtain sworn testimony from one of Arpaio's top aides about longstanding allegations of criminal misconduct inside the nation's fourth-largest sheriff's department. It's up to U.S....

Convicts were forced to march to a new top-security jail — wearing just pink underpants and flip-flops to deter escape bids. Prison bosses reckoned the 700 hardmen would be too embarrassed to go on the run in gay-style garb. Muscle-bound, tattooed thugs were linked with pink handcuffs for the two-mile hike. And when they reached the new clink in Phoenix, Arizona, one con had to cut a pink ribbon to open it. Tough Sheriff Joe Arpaio said: “I put them on the street so everybody could see them. They can see this is what happens to people who break the...