opinion

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's terrible, no good, very bad day(s)

You know you're in for a really, really bad day, or series of bad days, when getting smacked down by the a panel of three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals doesn't seem so bad.

But that's how it is for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The bad days are only beginning. On Wednesday the 9th circuit panel upheld a federal judge's ruling against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in its racial-profiling case.

Next week, Arpaio faces a contempt hearing in front of Judge Snow.

Already the sheriff's office has come under supervision of a special monitor. And there have been many other orders. Not all of them have been followed, however. Hence the contempt hearing. of other orders by the district court during an hearing set to begin April 21.

Cecillia Wang, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, issued a statement Wednesday saying, "Sheriff Joe Arpaio has continually tried to dodge responsibility for his unconstitutional actions, and once again the courts have rebuffed his attempts. It's time for Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to face the facts and accept responsibility for violating the Constitution and the public trust. They should focus now on fixing the serious problems that fostered this illegal and discriminatory conduct."

For a very long time Sheriff Joe has acted more like a man who is above the law rather than one who is sworn to uphold it.

He's learning differently, now. Finally.

He's about to have a series of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

Just the opposite for those who have long considered themselves his victims.