A jury deadlocked this week on a case that charged a trusted horse trainer had molested at least four little girls between 2006 and 2009. The case was riddled with questions about the adequacy of the investigation into the charges.
Why would such a case just be coming to trial now, you might ask? Because this is one of the hundreds of cases of child abuse that Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office didn’t bother to investigate over the years–one of the cases the Arizona Republic spotlighted in its amazing series called “A betrayal of trust.” After the cases came to light, the sheriff’s office was forced to reopen the cases. And that led to the recent trial for the girls who loved horses.
Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield rescheduled the trial of horse trainer Ralph L. Carr for next year after the jury said it couldn’t decide if he was innocent or guilty.
They had heard the allegations from the girls, but they also heard Carr’s attorney argue that the enormous lag time between the original allegations and the sheriff’s forced investigation allowed the girls to be brainwashed into believing they had been molested.
In short, he argued, because Sheriff Joe’s office screwed up, these girls can’t be believed.
The sheriff argues that his office has fixed things with his investigative unit and these old cases shouldn’t be haunting him, not now when he’s in a reelection campaign.
But ask the girls who said they were fondled if they think he “fixed” things. Ask their parents. Ask Lady Justice.
The ramifications of all those unfixed problems from years ago will go on for a long time. For some, it will last their lifetimes.
These cases are one of the reasons I won’t vote for Joe Arpaio, but am voting for Paul Penzone.