MELENDRES CASE AND THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

This week, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors took a long-overdue and historic step—one that matters to every taxpayer and every resident who cares about accountable, effective local government. The Board filed a Rule 60 motion in federal court seeking to end federal oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), oversight that has been in place for nearly 15 years and has cost Maricopa County taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Let’s be very clear about what this is—and what it is not.

This is not about excusing past mistakes. It is about recognizing reality.

The original purpose of the Melendres case has been met. There is no evidence of ongoing civil rights violations, no new allegations of improper immigration enforcement, and MCSO has achieved 100% compliance with the required policy changes imposed by the court. In other words, the problem the court set out to fix has been fixed.

As Board Chairman Thomas Galvin rightly stated, today’s Sheriff’s Office is a completely different agency than it was more than a decade ago. The voters did their job. They held leadership accountable and elected new leadership. Since then, MCSO disbanded immigration-related units, implemented anti-bias training, and adopted modern, constitutional policing practices. This is now a professional law enforcement agency that serves the entire community—and one we can be proud of.

Yet despite all of that progress, federal oversight continues.

And it comes at a staggering cost.

Maricopa County has spent over $350 million complying with multiple court orders related to the case, including more than $30 million paid to a court-appointed monitor alone. That is money not spent on deputies, response times, victim services, or public safety priorities. At some point, continued oversight stops being about justice and starts becoming a drain on local resources and local control.

The Rule 60 motion argues—correctly—that continued federal supervision is no longer equitable or justified. Rule 60(b)(5) exists for this exact situation: when a judgment has been satisfied and applying it going forward no longer makes sense. Oversight that once served a purpose now undermines democratic accountability by holding today’s elected officials responsible for the actions of a former sheriff who has been out of office for fourteen years.

We should also acknowledge something important that often gets lost in political talking points: there is now a durable system in place to protect the civil rights of Latino drivers and all residents. Constitutional policing is embedded in policy, training, and oversight at the local level. The safeguards exist—and they are working.

Ending federal oversight does not mean abandoning civil rights. It means trusting the reforms, the systems, and the voters of Maricopa County.

This is what accountability looks like in a constitutional republic. Problems are addressed, reforms are made, leadership changes, and eventually—government returns to the people closest to it.

It's time to close this chapter, restore local control and redirect resources wherethey belong: keeping our community safe. 

December 6th,  at the Sun City West Republican Club meeting, we were fortunate to hear from Sheriff Jerry Sheridan. His leadership and transparency continue to be a breath of fresh air for Maricopa County, and I took the opportunity to ask him directly about the upcoming quarterly meeting between the Federal Monitor and the Sheriff’s Office.

The meeting will likely take place during the first week of February. However, our great Sheriff will be in Washington, D.C. at that time, meeting with Pam Bondi to address the never-ending—and costly—federal monitoring of our Sheriff’s Office. Even with Sheriff Sheridan out of state, we still need to show up in force. Our presence matters. It demonstrates to the court and the county that the public stands behind our Sheriff and supports his ongoing efforts to move this office forward.

As soon as I receive the confirmed details, I will share them in my newsletter, on social media, and on my website.

Staffing Improvements: A Remarkable Turnaround

One of the most encouraging updates Sheriff Sheridan shared was the dramatic improvement in staffing. When he took office in January of this year, hundreds of positions were unfilled. Today, that number is down to just 60. This progress is significant and reflects the dedication of the Sheriff’s Office to rebuild morale and strengthen operations.

Sheriff Sheridan reminded us that once a deputy is hired, it takes a full year of training before they can begin working independently. While it will take time for these improvements to be fully visible on the street, the county is finally on the right track toward restoring full, effective policing across Maricopa County.

Border Closure Brings Shifts in Drug Trends

Another key update addressed the ongoing drug crisis in the county. Sheriff Sheridan noted that with the border closed, the flow of illegal drugs into the country—particularly fentanyl—has decreased. However, he also highlighted a sobering statistic: six people die every day in Maricopa County from drug overdoses, and four of those deaths involve fentanyl.

Despite this, the closure of the border has led to a shift in which drugs are entering the U.S. The predominant drug coming into Maricopa County now is methamphetamine. Street prices for illegal drugs are rising due to reduced supply, and while drug addiction remains a serious and heartbreaking issue in our communities, any reduction in supply is a step in the right direction.

Stay Engaged — Your Voice Matters

Sheriff Sheridan is working tirelessly to restore trust, rebuild staffing, and confront the drug crisis impacting our county. As residents, it is crucial that we continue supporting his efforts—especially at the upcoming quarterly meeting.

More details are coming soon, and I encourage everyone to mark their calendars, stay informed, and continue showing up. Together, we are making a difference.

On October 22, the Federal Monitor held a community meeting—part of the long-running Melendres case requirements—at the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse in downtown Phoenix. Unlike past sessions held in neighborhoods, this one took place in a courtroom. Judge Murray Snow attended. Over one hundred citizens filled the room.

How the Night Unfolded

• An hour of case history. Judge Snow opened with a lengthy recap of the case’s origins and orders.
• Meet the monitors. Chief Robert Warshaw introduced roughly a dozen members of the monitoring team and walked through their résumés.
• Advocacy perspectives. John Mitchell from the ACLU addressed the court, presenting their view that MCSO has operated with racial bias.
• The Sheriff’s response. Sheriff Jerry Sheridan addressed the claim that “disparities remain,” emphasizing that disparity does not equal bias. According to the Sheriff, MCSO makes roughly 20,000 traffic stops per year, and any employee tied to a biased stop has been terminated.
• The meeting lasted two hours. Sheriff Sheridan was able to speak for about ten minutes. One hour and fifty minutes were spent attempting to justify the need for the Federal Monitor. Most of the citizens in attendance were not buying it.

Throughout, I couldn’t shake the sense that the current Sheriff's Department, who were not responsible for the events leading to the Melendres case, is being treated as guilty until proven innocent. With the burden continually on the department to prove a negative, again and again. The meeting was designed in a way to appear informative but it lacked any substance.

What Compliance Looks Like - On the Ground

The public often hears about “monitoring,” but the real cost is time:

• Every stop is reviewed. Body-worn camera footage from traffic stops is scored against uniform criteria to drive consistency across the department. That’s labor-intensive, shift after shift.
• Internal Affairs backlog. When Sheriff Sheridan took office, there were over 2,000 pending IA cases. That number is now around 700—significant progress, but still a weight on deputies, supervisors, and the public waiting for closure.
• The price tag we already paid. Maricopa County is responsible for $12,739,439 in plaintiff costs from the original case—before counting the ongoing man-hours and monitoring overhead.

Changing the Orders, Moving the Goalposts

Judge Snow reiterated what full release requires: MCSO must score perfectly across all orders for three consecutive years. Over time, however, the orders have expanded—what began as a racial-discrimination matter was joined by additional orders, increasing the compliance workload and resetting targets. The perception among many community members is that the goalposts keep moving. And while the monitors will say they’re simply following the Court’s directives, taxpayers reasonably ask whether there’s any practical incentive for the system to declare “mission accomplished.”

Community Engagement That Actually Builds Trust

Sheriff Sheridan has been hosting town halls in the very communities MCSO serves, with a deliberate focus on predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. Those meetings elevate local leaders and everyday residents who want safer streets and respectful policing. That is how trust is earned.

By contrast, the Citizen Advisory Committee featured last night felt—at least to many in the room—stacked with voices broadly unsympathetic to law enforcement. Only two community questions were taken during the meeting, which left many attendees feeling unheard.

Enough is Enough

This monitoring has now stretched well over a decade. If the department is meeting the standards, it deserves a clear, achievable off-ramp that does not require perfection for three consecutive years.

Call To Action

• Email the U.S. Department of Justice and respectfully request a credible, time-bound path to release for MCSO once objective benchmarks are met. (Insert your link here to the DOJ contact/portal.)
• Attend the Sheriff’s community meetings. See the reforms, ask hard questions, and participate in shaping a fair, professional department that serves every resident.

More than a decade is long enough. Let’s insist on accountability that’s measurable, transparent, and finite—not perpetual. There is no incentive for the Monitor to release MCSO, quite the opposite.

THE MELENDRES CASE AND THE ONGOING FEDERAL MONITORING OF THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE - JULY 16TH MEETING

The Melendres v. Arpaio case has been a significant legal battle for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) that continues to shape the agency’s operations to this day. In 2013, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow ruled that the MCSO had engaged in discriminatory practices against Latinos, particularly in its immigration enforcement tactics. As a result of this ruling, the Sheriff’s Office has been under federal monitoring to ensure compliance with civil rights laws, a process that has now spanned over a decade.

The court appointed a federal monitor to oversee the Sheriff's Office, a position that has sparked considerable debate. To date, the county has spent over $350 million on this ongoing federal oversight. Critics argue that the monitoring process has become a never-ending bureaucratic burden, consuming significant public resources and hindering the ability of MCSO to perform its core duties. Despite four changes in the Sheriff’s office leadership since the case began, the monitoring continues to impose compliance requirements that many believe are unnecessary and excessively costly.

Quarterly Meeting Highlights: A Show of Support for Sheriff Jerry Sheridan

Last night’s quarterly meeting drew a remarkable crowd of 300 to 350 attendees, the majority of whom came to show their support for Jerry Sheridan, to voice their concerns about the ongoing federal oversight. This gathering came after months of frustration with the costs and inefficiencies associated with the federal monitoring.

One notable moment came at the end of the meeting when the mics were turned off but that did not stop this truth teller - Shelby Busch of the MCRC raised an important question regarding the transparency of the monitoring process. She asked whether it was Judge Snow’s decision to seal the salaries of the federal monitors, preventing the public from knowing how much these individuals are being paid.

The Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors stated that the county has already spent $2.9 million just on the monitor staff alone. He emphasized that this money could have been better used for the salaries of MCSO employees, underscoring the financial strain the federal monitoring has placed on the county.

Several attendees echoed similar sentiments, including Supervisor Debbie Lesko, who pointed out that the money spent on this federal bureaucracy could be better used to directly support the Sheriff's Office. She also noted that the compliance goalposts for the Sheriff's Office keep moving, making it harder for the department to operate effectively. With four different sheriffs since the case began, Lesko argued that it is now time to allow the Sheriff's Office to get back to doing its job without the constant federal oversight.

Tensions Rise and a Disruptive Moment

During public comments tensions flared when a citizen—opposed to the Sheriff's Office—began taking pictures of MCSO supporters and calling them racists. The situation escalated quickly with inappropriate language exchanged and even some pushing. Following this altercation, the same individual began calling Patty Porter of the MCRC a traitor. The disruptor was accompanied by a Democratic state senator from Maryvale, who showed little interest in diffusing the situation or preventing the bad behavior from continuing.

The meeting, which had a set end time of 8:30 PM, did not start on time by about 18 minutes. This led to many members of the public, eager to speak, not being given the opportunity due to the time constraints. However, despite the setbacks, those in attendance vowed to return and make their voices heard at future meetings.

Looking Ahead: Stay Tuned for Future Meetings

The quarterly meetings, which provide an opportunity for the public to engage with the Sheriff’s Office and other local officials, are crucial for building awareness and generating support for law enforcement. Though the atmosphere at times can be contentious, last night’s meeting demonstrated the growing frustration many feel about the ongoing federal monitoring and the wasteful spending it entails.

As the county continues to deal with the ramifications of the Melendres case, citizens are determined to ensure that their voices are heard. If you would like to express your concerns or support to Chief Warshaw, please click the link below to send an email.

Stay tuned for the date and time of the next quarterly meeting.