UPDATE: Billy Shields tells New Times that he’s “stunned and saddened” as Phoenix police investigate allegations that his daughter, Mindy, embezzled money from a campaign account belonging to Greg Stanton.New Times posted the story earlier today about more than $75,000 reportedly taken from Stanton, a deputy attorney general and former…
Two of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s detention officers face aggravated assault charges after allegedly roughing up two inmates in the psych ward at the Lower Buckeye Jail.Arpaio actually allowed us (New Times!) to join in watching the video of the alleged assaults this afternoon — one of which was so egregious…
Gerardo Higginson, a senior aide to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, is heading back to his broadcasting roots. After about seven years of working for Gordon as a liaison to the Latino, immigrant and minority communities, and Spanish-language media, Higginson accepted a job as the Community Relations and Public Affairs Director for…
Remember the woman who, a few weeks ago, told police she was so “dazed” before running down an 18-year-old with her car that she drank nail polish without even realizing it? Well, she says she’s innocent.Laura Flanders, 23, of Peoria, was in Maricopa County Superior Court this morning, when she…
Damn, I love James Garcia. The Phoenix playwright seems hell-bent on fulfilling my fantasies in his annual American Pastorela productions. Last year, the villain was Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who keels over of a heart attack, and is later tortured in Hades by Adolf Hitler. Being an atheist, I can’t see this…
“Mr. Bill,” a.k.a. Billy Stephen Bryant, a former bus driver accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl, pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court today to two counts of child molestation and one count of aggravated assault of a minor. Bryant, police say, drove to the Mesa home of the victim, where she was…
Two Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies were arrested today for allegedly assaulting two jail inmates.The deputies each have been charged with aggravated assault…
We’re not sure what “turning into charcoal” would feel like (and we’re pretty sure it’s not even possible), but apparently it can cause a person to pull out his junk in public and attack a stranger.About 7:30 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a call about a fight in the area…
The U.S. Supreme Court announced this morning that it will decide on whether Arizona’s “Clean Elections” system violates the Constitution.The system was a hot topic during this year’s election cycle because several candidates — including Governor Jan Brewer and former Treasurer Dean Martin — were running as publicly funded, or…
Phoenix police are investigating the alleged embezzlement of more than $75,000 from a campaign fund that belongs to Deputy Attorney General Greg Stanton. The fund, which has no ties to Stanton’s post in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, dates back to his days on the Phoenix City Council. Police sources tell…
Things could have been a lot worse for a Phoenix teen who thought it would be a good idea to play with her dad’s gun. The teenage girl shot herself in the hand while fiddlin’ around with it yesterday morning.Phoenix police say the girl, described only as a teenager from…
Steve Nash is hurting right now, badly. Back and heel issues are ailing the aging Phoenix Suns superstar, who’s already plagued by lingering groin problems. And it’s affecting his play. Nash battled through these injuries, particularly during the three games that took place over the long Thanksgiving Day weekend, but…
The Phoenix Coyotes’ impressive seven-game win streak came to an end, and so did the Anaheim Ducks’ six-game losing streak, when the Ducks rolled past the Howlers 6-4 Saturday night.The Coyotes didn’t play too horrible — at first (as usual, power plays aside). But when a team gives up five…
In the light of day, while they’re being watched, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ain’t so tough.The above video with footage by Bill Pierce and editing by Dennis Gilman documents a November 19 demonstration outside the Phoenix offices of ICE by undocumented Arizona DREAM Act students.It begins with a segment snipped…
I am a mutt. My father’s father was an illegal immigrant from Mexico. My mother’s father was an illegal immigrant from Ireland. My surname is Mexican and is usually mispronounced by gabachos and pendejos alike. I look more Irish than Mexican. And as my father never spoke it at home,…
LONG SOMETHING OF THE LAW Editor’s note: A throng of readers reacted to our “Hot Mess at the DPS” cover story (Ray Stern, November 11). All the comments were anonymous. Here’s a sample: Jer-ry, Jer-ry!: I can’t wait to see [Arizona Department of Public Safety] Director Bobby Halliday and his…
Louie Puroll crouches beside an ocotillo in the desert between Casa Grande and Gila Bend, his M-16 rifle slung in front of him. It’s a cool November morning, and we are in Pinal County, 3.5 miles south of civilization, which is the Veja Truck Stop at Interstate 8 and State Route…
In Arizona, you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, conceal a handgun, and buy an AK-47. And soon, if you qualify, you’ll be able to smoke a big, fat doobie. Legally. Proposition 203, the state’s new medical-marijuana law, passed by the slimmest of margins once all the votes from…
In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries:…
Pearce’s Obama-jihad-impeachment quote begins 4:09 in For me, neo-Nazi-hugging state Senate President-elect Russell Pearce is the gift that keeps on giving. Seems like there’s not a week that goes by where he doesn’t say or do something totally whack, thus allowing me to pull out the verbal cat-o-nine tails and flay away at…
Some people have it all together. Like the guy who robbed a Wells Fargo bank today near Power and Broadway roads in Mesa. He keeps organized with a zip-up black binder. Yep, that’s his little, black revolver in there. Mesa cops say the man pulled a note out of the binder…
Quite a sight yesterday afternoon in downtown Phoenix. The entire workforce of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office–it numbers in the hundreds–took to the streets (Jefferson, to be exact) as one, and trooped north a block or two to the Orpheum Theatre for a big meeting, It was new County Attorney…
