A Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer who was found in contempt of court said Monday night he would not apologize for his actions during an October sentencing hearing.

Detention Officer Adam Stoddard was found in contempt in November for removing documents from a defense attorney Joanne Cuccia's file during a hearing for Antonio Lozano on Oct. 19, and Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ordered him to hold a press conference apologizing to Cuccia.

"I cannot and will not apologize for putting court safety first," Stoddard said.

On Tuesday morning, the Sheriff's Office was preparing for the possibility that Stoddard would report to jail.

Tom Liddy, an attorney from Maricopa County's civil division representing the Sheriff's Office, said he was trying to get clarification on Donahoe's ruling, which requires Stoddard to report to jail by Dec. 1 � which representatives from the Sheriff's Office and Superior Courts took to mean midnight. If Stoddard fails to report, the order stipulates that a warrant will be issued for his arrest. Liddy filed a motion to stay Donahoe's order pending the outcome of an appeal, but Donahoe denied that motion on Monday afternoon.

Stoddard testified earlier this month that he saw words on the documents that made him think Cuccia's client posed a threat to security in the court room.

"I saw a document that I had not yet screened and that raised security issues," he said. "I retrieved that document in plain sight and had court personnel copy it to preserve it as evidence in case it was a security breach. It was a split second decision and I do not regret my actions."

Donahoe heard three days of testimony from Stoddard, Cuccia and another deputy on duty with Stoddard during the Oct. 19 sentencing hearing before finding Stoddard in contempt on Nov. 17 and giving the officer until the end of the month to apologize to Cuccia.

"Judge Donahoe has ordered me to feel something I do not," Stoddard said. "He has order me to say something I cannot. The judge has therefore put me in a position where I must lie or go to jail. I will not lie."