Joe Arpaio Files To Have Criminal Conviction Removed

Arizona’s KTAR reports:

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has filed an appeal to undo his criminal contempt of court conviction, Arpaio said in a release Friday.

Arpaio’s appeal argues that the pardon he received from President Donald Trump made his case moot before the official appeals process began, and that the conviction should have been removed automatically.

He also claims in the appeal that U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton “refused to give the Sheriff a trial by jury,” and that her “verdict was completely unsupported by the evidence, among numerous other reasons.”

Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt of court in July for prolonging his controversial immigration sweeps for 17 months after he was directed to stop them in 2011.

Arpaio announced his bid for the US Senate two weeks ago.