(August 7, 2023) The county is statutorily mandated to pay for evidence collection after a person has been the victim of child abuse or a sex offense. For years, the county has contracted with two local providers: the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southern Arizona. The county already has a lot on its plate. In recent meetings, discussions have included homelessness, the fentanyl crisis, budget issues with the sheriff’s department, water and more. Why would it want to take on anything else? (Tucson Agenda)
(June 3) After concerns arose about Tucson magistrates violating the constitutional rights of defendants, Pima County officials are ending their contract with Tucson City Court for initial appearances, where a judge sets release conditions and bail. The arrangement has been in place for nearly 20 years and will end next month. It came under scrutiny in recent years due to a “a concern about how City Court magistrates were handling IAs and imposing bail amounts,” County Administrator Jan Lesher wrote in a May 29 memo. The memo doesn’t give a specific example, but there was a stink last year after a review commission said Presiding Magistrate Antonio Riojas, Jr. shouldn’t be reappointed. The commission said he didn’t provide legal counsel for some DUI defendants, which violated their constitutional rights. Riojas said it was due to lack of staffing at the public defenders office. (Tucson Agenda)
(February 7) Change of plans: The City of Tucson and Pima County may end up paying damages for the decades that Louis Taylor spent in prison in connection with the 1970 Pioneer Hotel Fire, KVOA”s Chorus Nylander reports. Taylor spent 42 years in prison before making a deal in 2013 to plead no contest in exchange for the Pima County Attorney’s Office setting aside his original conviction and giving him credit for time served. Taylor is suing the city and county alleging prosecutor misconduct, racial biases and more. His no-contest plea limited his ability to seek damages, but a judge said in January that Taylor can receive damages if the jury finds ample cause. A settlement conference is scheduled for later this month.