Ex-Prison Boss Drunkenly Pulls Gun On Cops, Shows Two Tiers Of Justice
On the night of Jan. 6, Arizona’s former prison director, Charles Ryan, drank half a bottle of tequila and got into a three-hour armed standoff that involved about 50 police officers. After a tense confrontation in which Ryan repeatedly pointed a gun at officers, Tempe police took Ryan into custody and brought him to a hospital — but he was never booked into jail. In the end, Ryan went back home like nothing had happened.
Meg O'Connor Feb 22, 2022
Arizona Man Faces Decades In Prison After Not Returning a Rental Car on Time
Brian Stepter, a 61-year-old Black man, has struggled with substance use for decades. Now, prosecutors are leveraging his record against him—and forbidding references to racial justice, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Stepter’s potential sentence, or his health problems at his trial.
Meg O'Connor Mar 25, 2021
In a Blow to the Progressive Prosecutor Movement, Allister Adel Wins the Maricopa County Attorney Race
Voters decided to keep Adel in charge of the third-largest prosecuting agency in the country. She is recovering from emergency surgery for bleeding in her brain.
Meg O'Connor Nov 11, 2020
How One Race Could Change Police Accountability in Arizona
Incumbent Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel is backed by police unions and has declined to charge officers in high-profile killings. Challenger Julie Gunnigle says she wants to create an independent unit to review police use-of-force cases.
Meg O'Connor Oct 23, 2020
If Arizona Legalizes Weed, Top Prosecutors Would Be Key To Clearing Past Convictions
One candidate for Maricopa County attorney says she’ll make clearing past marijuana convictions ‘universal and automatic’ if elected. The other has not said she would do anything to support expunging criminal records.
Meg O'Connor Oct 21, 2020
Abortion Could Be Criminalized in Arizona if Roe v. Wade Gets Overturned
The state’s pre-Roe abortion ban includes mandatory prison time for people who provide or obtain abortions. Candidates for top prosecutor in Maricopa County differ on whether they would prosecute such cases.
Meg O'Connor Oct 15, 2020
Maricopa County’s Top Prosecutor Releases Misleading Attack Ad
Allister Adel paints herself as a reformer, but her record shows otherwise.
Meg O'Connor Oct 05, 2020
51 Years In Prison For A Car Crash
Prosecutors wanted to make an example of Justin Dixon, who has been in an Arizona prison for 14 years, with 37 ahead of him. Now, as COVID-19 spreads in the facility where he’s being held, his family is desperate for him to be released.
Meg O'Connor Jun 25, 2020
She Turned Her Life Around After A String Of DUIs. Now She Might Be Sent Back To Prison Amid A Coronavirus Outbreak
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office waited four years to charge Danielle Sutherland for one of the DUIs. After serving time for the others, she received treatment for her substance use issues and pursued a degree.
Meg O'Connor May 29, 2020
Arizona Prosecutor Commissions Report That Argues Against Leniency For Teens Who Commit Crimes
Report attempts to discredit decades of research on the adolescent mind.
Kira Lerner Nov 01, 2019