Sheriff Joe Arpaio convicted of criminal contempt

Joe Arpaio.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt after U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton found he violated a 2011 federal order demanding he stop racially profiling Latinos for his immigration "roundups," The Arizona Republic reports. The 85-year-old, known as "Sheriff Joe," had argued that his violation was unintentional.

"The evidence at trial proves beyond a reasonable doubt … that [the] defendant knew of the order; and that defendant willfully violated the order by failing to do anything to ensure his subordinates' compliance and by directing them to continue to detain persons for whom no criminal charges could be filed," wrote Bolton in the ruling. She added that Arpaio had intentionally violated the order in order to help with his re-election campaign in 2012.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.