Sheriff Joe back in court for contempt hearing

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

Maricopa County’s bill for defending Arpaio against countless lawsuits during his 22 years as sheriff are expected to reach $125 million by next summer.

The sheriff in the nation’s sixth-largest city faces a new round of contempt-of-court hearings Thursday after disobeying a judge’s orders to stop carrying out his signature immigration patrols. His political strength has dipped over the years, but his devoted base of supporters and impressive fundraising helped him pull out wins.

At the heart of this week’s proceedings will be “Arpaio’s acknowledged disobedience” in defying the court’s order by withholding traffic-stop recordings requested as far back as in 2012.

Tensions escalated in recent months as the sheriff’s office failed to turn over records.

Previously, the judge has indicated he would like to see potential penalties include Arpaio having to dig into his own pockets to pay off any fines imposed. The judge will also decide whether to refer the case to a federal prosecutor to pursue criminal contempt charges against the sheriff and others. The costs include legal fees for lawyers on both sides, buying cameras for hundreds of deputies and paying for a team of former police officials to monitor Arpaio’s office.

Besides being the owner of commercial real estate valued at $2 million, Arpaio is reported to earn $100,000 per year as sheriff.

The sheriff and his lawyer, John Masterson, have declined to comment on the upcoming hearings or the rising taxpayer costs from the case.

Snow, who has already found that Arpaio’s office racially profiled Latino drivers and wrongfully detained them, convened the first round of civil contempt hearings in April after growing frustrated with the conduct of sheriff’s officials. And taxpayers are going to have to foot the bill.

Cecillia Wang, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project and a plaintiffs’ counsel, said Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) need to be held accountable.