Justice works! Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal contempt verdict still stands

Federal judges in San Francisco have refused to vacate former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal contempt verdict.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision issued Thursday offers justice for so many in Maricopa County.

Arpaio could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, though surely those justices have more important cases to consider than dealing with the vanity of a former 87-year-old sheriff.

But, hey, you never know with Arpaio. His thirst to be in the spotlight has no limits, and he may do it just to grab headlines as he pursues his bid to return to the sheriff’s office after voters ousted him four years ago.

Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt in 2017 after disobeying a judge's order to stop work immigration raids, costing Maricopa County taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in legal and court fees over his penchant to racially profile Latinos.

Federal judges ruled Thursday that a lower court didn't make a mistake in dismissing Arpaio's case with prejudice, so that’s good for Arpaio because it won’t have any future legal consequences.

"The district court’s judgment dismissing Arpaio’s criminal proceeding with prejudice and denying vacatur of the finding of guilt is affirmed," the ruling noted. "Because Arpaio’s challenges to the district court’s finding of guilt are moot, we do not address them." 

Arpaio's attorney, Jack Wilenchik, claimed victory in a statement, saying, "The Court gave us exactly what we wanted, which is a finding that the guilty verdict is void (it 'has no legal consequences')." 

He can spin it however he wants. But the fact remains that Arpaio's contempt verdict stands. President Trump pardoned him. Arpaio wanted his criminal contempt verdict thrown out. The federal judges said no, and that should give Latinos a huge sense of relief.

To many, Arpaio has become a symbol of racism that could spread like wildfire if not rooted out. Thursday’s court decision is a light of hope that checks and balances remain strong.

Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.