Plan B Forum

Trump considers Arpaio pardon

Phoenix — Arizona politicians have invoked the “rule of law” for more than a decade as the guiding principle in pushing for tougher immigration laws, arguing that no one — no matter who you are — is above the law.

The rallying cry has become muted as President Donald Trump considers a pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio after a judge found he broke the law in defying a judge while carrying out traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

The president told Fox News that he was seriously considering a pardon for Arpaio, an enthusiastic Trump supporter who shared the stage with him at several campaign rallies and became a close ally in pushing for tougher immigration enforcement.

The prospect has fueled speculation that Trump will issue his first pardon when he comes to Phoenix next week for a rally.

Arpaio was trounced in November after 24 years in office and found guilty last month of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying the courts. The conviction stemmed from Arpaio’s decision to prolong immigration patrols after a judge in a racial-profiling lawsuit ordered him to stop them.

He faces up to six months in jail at his Oct. 5 sentencing, though attorneys who have followed the case doubt someone his age would be incarcerated.


Arpaio insisted his disobedience wasn’t intentional and blamed one of his former lawyers for not properly explaining the importance of the court order. The former lawman said he was astonished by the verdict and brushed off the conviction as a “petty crime.”

White House: Trump won't pardon Arpaio at Phoenix rally

President Trump will not pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio at an Arizona rally on Tuesday, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

"There will be no discussion of that today, and no action on that at any point today," Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump had said he was considering Arpaio, who is a outspoken supporter of the president. "I am seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio," Mr. Trump said in an interview with Fox News earlier this month.

Arapio is awaiting sentencing after a federal judge found that he broke the law by implementing traffic stops that targeted immigrants.

Thousands set to protest President Trump as he arrives in Phoenix for campaign-style rally

Thousands of protesters are set to descend on downtown Phoenix on Tuesday as President Trump arrives here for a campaign-style rally, as controversy continued to swirl over his assessment that “both sides” were to blame for the racially charged violence that tore through Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month.

Several marches in opposition to Trump were mapped out in recent days, with all converging on the Phoenix Convention Center, where the president is set to take the stage at 7 p.m. local time.

Early Tuesday, nearly 4,000 people indicated on Facebook they would attend an anti-Trump rally at the Herberger Theater Center, less than a block from the convention center. In a separate post, about 3,000 people said they planned to attend a so-called “White Supremacy Will Not Be Pardoned” event downtown organized by Puente Human Rights Movement, a local immigrant rights group.

In addition, several anti-facist groups, also known as antifa, have created online postings, urging supporters to congregate in downtown Phoenix, even as a “Stand for Patriotism” rally and an appearance by the local chapter of Bikers 4 Trump were planned as a show of support for the president.

The rally here in Phoenix, Trump’s first major event in the West since he took office, has local authorities on edge.

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said the department is increasing patrols and that she hopes protests remain peaceful.

“There is a distinct difference between voicing your 1st Amendment rights and committing unlawful acts,” Williams told reporters on Monday. “Criminal conduct will be immediately addressed.”

Several streets have been blocked off downtown and police are working to keep counter-protesters and Trump supporters separated.

Trump pardons controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Controversial former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio was pardoned by President Donald Trump on Friday after being found guilty in July on criminal contempt charges stemming from his refusal to stop imprisoning suspected illegal immigrants.

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is [a] worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon," the White House said in part in a press release.

Arpaio, an outspoken critic of undocumented migrants as well as an ardent supporter of Trump, appeared on the presidential campaign trail with the Republican candidate in 2016. He was said to be under consideration for a pardon last week by Trump, and was all but promised clemency by the president during a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday.

"I'll make a prediction. I think [Arpaio]'s going to be just fine, OK? But I won't do it tonight because I don't want to cause any controversy," said the president, alluding to a pardon. "Is that OK? ... But Sheriff Joe can feel good."

The White House said Arpaio exemplified "selfless public service" throughout his life and career. "Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the release said.

rubato wrote:Can the president pardon someone who has not been charged or convicted?


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rubato