Arpaio's fascism lite

Here's a shorter version of the video (pasted in below)-- and the full version (start watching at about 1:00)...

From Radley Balko in Reason...

It's right there on video: On October 19 in a Maricopa County, Arizona, courtroom, as defense attorney Joanne Cuccia discusses her client's sentencing with Superior Court Judge Lisa Flores, court deputy Adam Stoddard walks up behind her and begins sifting through a file on her desk. He eventually removes a document, reads it, then hands it to another deputy for copying.

Cuccia's client witnessed this snooping, which was brought to the attention of Judge Flores. The Phoenix-based freelance journalist Nick Martin then acquired the video and posted it online.

At a subsequent hearing on the incident, Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ordered deputy Stoddard to apologize at a press conference for the violation of attorney-client privilege. But Stoddard works for the famed Joe Arpaio, self-described "toughest sheriff in America," and Donahoe's order set off a surreal clash between the state's courts and Arpaio's department.

Stoddard refused to apologize and instead went to jail, where he is enjoying paid leave. Arpaio...called Stoddard a "political prisoner." The day after Stoddard was locked up, 20 of his fellow deputies called in sick, resulting in delays in the county court system. The court building was evacuated after a bomb threat, at which point several police unions coincidentally held a "Free Stoddard" rally in front of the evacuated crowd....