Court Rules Arizona Sheriff Can Not Block Inmates' Access to Abortion Care

[struggle4progress]

By Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check
October 20, 2009 - 5:24pm

The Arizona Sheriff who took it upon himself to block inmates' lawful access to abortion services and who also required they pay an extra "tax" for access to abortion services can no longer require inmates seeking abortion care to prepay their transportation and security costs before they can obtain an abortion, according to an Arizona court finding today.

In a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the court found that Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio must abide by earlier court decisions that he apparently had interpreted in his own unique way.

Earlier this year, as part of a partial settlement in an ACLU lawsuit involving the right of women prisoners to obtain timely, safe and legal abortions, Arpaio agreed to follow a 2005 court order prohibiting Maricopa County correctional facilities from requiring inmates to obtain a court order before an abortion. However, in the course of settlement negotiations, Arpaio decided inmates must prepay transportation and security costs associated with obtaining the procedure. In his ruling today, Judge Robert H. Oberbilling of the Superior Court of Arizona indicated that requiring inmates to prepay security and transportation costs could be more onerous than the court order Sheriff Arpaio previously required ...

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/10/20/court-rules-arizona-sheriff-can-not-block-inmates-access-abortion-care

[niyad]

1. is there no end to this cretin's disgusting behaviour?

[struggle4progress]

3. ... The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department denies it engages in racial profiling after

a controversial comment made by Sheriff Joe Arpaio Saturday ... “I think you can tell people that are not from this country,” he said. "And I’m not talking Hispanics. Maybe someone from France looks a little different than somebody from Europe or somebody from England looks a little bit different than we do. It’s the same way that they can tell when an American citizen is in Europe" ... Regional director Bill Straus said the sheriff's comments shows the department is engaging in racial profiling. “Stopping people because of their appearance,” he said. “That’s what racial profiling is. That’s exactly what it is” ...
MCSO: We Don't Racially Profile
Stopping People Who Look 'Like (They) Just Came From Mexico' Not Racial Profiling, Chief Of Custody Says
Sarah Buduson
Reporter, KPHO.com
POSTED: 11:09 pm MST October 19, 2009
UPDATED: 11:19 am MST October 20, 2009
http://www.kpho.com/news/21345667/detail.html

[struggle4progress]

4. AZ Sheriff Calls "Illegals" Diseased And Dirty

Dawn Teo
Arizona Politics
Posted: October 20, 2009 01:08 AM
... All these people that come over, they could come with disease. There's no control, no health checks or anything. They check fruits and vegetables, how come they don't check people? No one talks about that! They're all dirty ...
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/az-sheriff-calls-illegals_b_326728.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/az-sheriff-calls-illegals_b_326728.html

[struggle4progress]

5. The short answer to your question: His stupid runs on an endless loop

[niyad]

6. this man was a jackass when I was there years ago--and he has only gone downhill.

what really saddens me is that he keeps getting reelected--despite investigations, challenges by AI, etc. the people of maricopa county are obviously proud of this throwback to some dark age.

[classysassy]

7. The Bull Connor of this era.

The fools that keep voting for that racist bag of dog mess,will one fine day regret voting for the thug.

[katandmoon]

2. K&R

[imdjh]

8. If he were truly racist, wouldn't he require abortions?

At least of the nonwhite or nonanglo inmates?

[SoCalNative]

9. And yet the idiots in AZ keep re-electing him

:wtf:

[saracat]

10. Because the democratic party in AZ never supports any of the candidates who run against him.

despite having one of the weathiest war chests in the nation in 2008, they chose not support local candidates and concentrated on the national race. It happens again and again.A real effort to take Joe down could have been made years ago. It still could be but it will never be done.