Judge says lawsuit against Pinal RICO use can be expanded to include state
by Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
A federal judge has given the go-ahead for a broad-based challenge to Arizona statutes in a lawsuit against Pinal County that allow police and prosecutors to profit from items they seize.
In an extensive ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa said there was enough evidence in the lawsuit, filed in 2015, to give attorney Jean-Jaques Cabou and the American Civil Liberties Union a chance to prove that the laws are unconstitutional. They claim the statutes provide an “improper financial motivation’’ for law enforcement to take cash, homes, cars and other property.
The case itself surrounds the complaint of San Tan Valley resident Rhonda Cox.
