Lawyer for ‘tough sheriff’ loses round in federal appeals court on charges of muzzling newspaper

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was unimpressed with the lawyer of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, trashing her argument that the sheriff was not liable under the First Amendment for his attacks on The Phoenix New Times.

The lawyer failed to recognize that their appeal vacated an earlier opinion setting aside an argument about conspiracy. The lawyer was unprepared to answer the court’s questions concerning that issue. -db

From the  Courthouse News Service, December 16, 2011, by David Tartre.

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