Judge recommends criminal charges for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio

A U.S. district judge ruled Friday that controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, along with several of his colleagues, should be charged with criminal contempt of court because they ignored court orders connected to a 2007 racial profiling case. If convicted, Arpaio would face jail time and fines.

The judge argued that Arpaio for 18 months willfully violated court instructions to stop detaining drivers solely on suspicion of illegal immigration, and that one of his subordinates concealed almost 1,500 IDs confiscated during traffic stops from a department investigation into such confiscations. Arpaio's lawyer denied the allegations, saying his client had "no criminal intent."

The sheriff has developed a national following for his aggressive immigration policing; critics say Arpaio, who calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," engages in racial profiling and harassment.

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