RSS FeedMaricopa County Officer Refuses to Apologize
By now, regular readers are very familiar with this ongoing saga out of Maricopa County, Arizona: it all began back in October when, during a sentencing hearing, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Officer Adam Stoddard stepped up behind defence attorney Joanne Cuccia, searched through her file, and retrieved a document – all while she was making arguments and her back was turned.
In a highly anticipated decision, Judge Gary Donohoe later ruled Stoddard had not acted with reasonable justification, despite the officer’s argument that his suspicion had been triggered by his glimpse of certain “keywords.” He had also argued that a heightened state of alert was required due to incidents where defence attorneys had helped smuggle contraband and other items to their defendants. Nevertheless, Judge Donohoe had rejected these arguments and had ordered Stoddard to publicly apologize before December 1, or face jail time.
Last night, Stoddard did indeed hold a news conference. At 8:30 pm, down to the very end of Judge Donohoe’s deadline, a defiant Stoddard refused the judge’s order.
Being Tardy Will Cost You…
It just goes to show you that being late for court can hurt more than your client’s chances. A Thunder Bay judge has fined a veteran lawyer with what can be arguably described as habitual lateness.
Although disappointed with the $250 fine, he assured the court that it was not without excuse.
In the end, it just goes to show for all veteran and aspiring lawyers out there, being late can impact more than your client’s pocketbook.
