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Sheriff's deputy who defied judge surrenders
A still from the video footage of the courtroom incident.
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Do you agree with Sheriff's Deputy Adam Stoddard's decision to defy a judge and refuse to apologize for looking at an attorney's papers without her knowledge?
A Maricopa County sheriff’s detention officer has refused to comply with a judge’s order to publicly apologize for looking at an attorney’s papers in court without the lawyer’s knowledge or consent.
However, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Tuesday that Adam Stoddard “will surrender,” and he did -- around 6 p.m. to county authorities. He was placed in a county jail facility.
Stoddard, who works in the sheriff’s office’s Court Security Division, said Monday night that he doesn’t regret his actions and won’t apologize.
Maricopa Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ruled Nov. 18 that Stoddard acted in contempt when he pulled two pieces of handwritten paper out of attorney Joanne Cuccia’s file on Oct. 19.
Stoddard testified that he saw four words — “going to,” ‘’steal” and “money” — in a document sticking out of the file that led him to believe Cuccia’s client posed some sort of security threat.
Donahoe ordered Stoddard to hold a news conference by Nov. 30 to apologize for his actions or report to jail by Dec. 1.
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