The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is asking the Board of Supervisors for $7 million to cover the costs of legal fees.

Chief Deputy David Hendershott wants the board to transfer the $7 million from the county's general fund to the Sheriff's Office general fund early next year, according to an agenda item obtained by The Republic.

The money would help pay for legal fees the Sheriff's Office incurred from three law firms: Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart; Sanders and Parks; and Wilenchik and Bartness.

Loretta Barkell, the sheriff's executive who handles the office's $271 million annual budget, said the agency wants the item placed on the supervisors' Dec. 16 agenda to cover the legal fees through the end of this year.

The agency requested that the $7 million allocation be made to the Sheriff's Office annually to cover anticipated legal fees in future years, she said.

A change in county policy precipitated the request, Barkell said.

In October, county supervisors approved a new policy that requires elected officials to cover their own legal fees when engaged in disputes with other county officials. Those fees formerly came out of the county's general fund.

Lawsuits between county agencies including the Sheriff's Office, the County Attorney's Office and the Treasurer's Office against county administration have cost more than $2.5 million in legal fees according to the county's records through early November.

The Sheriff's Office has used attorneys from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart to wage legal battles with the county on issues including control of a law-enforcement computer system and the need to release surveillance footage of sheriff's deputies arresting Supervisor Don Stapley in a county parking garage.

Wade Swanson, director of the county's civil-litigation department, said the $7 million funding request was surprising.

"Although we haven't heard anything from the Sheriff's Office on this, this appears to be a very unusual request," he said.