Judge Declines Contempt for Maricopa Sheriff Sheridan

A federal judge declined to hold Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in contempt in a racial profiling class action, citing efforts to clear an investigation backlog.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Judge Declines Contempt for Maricopa Sheriff Sheridan

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U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow declined to hold Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in contempt in a racial profiling class action in Phoenix. Snow ordered the parties to improve communication and said he will soon issue a ruling on the county's pending objections.

Why it matters

The ruling keeps a long-running federal oversight case in Maricopa County active while the sheriff's office works to address lingering compliance issues. The county's appeal of an earlier denial and its objection to an independent investigator leave key elements of the case unresolved.

Judge Snow declined contempt and said he will soon rule on the county's objection to an independent investigator, while the county's appeal of his earlier denial of relief from judgment remains pending. Whether the backlog of civil rights investigations will be cleared has not been established.

The players

G. Murray Snow

A U.S. District Judge presiding over the racial profiling class action against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, who has overseen court-ordered reforms since the case's earlier rulings.

Jerry Sheridan

The Maricopa County Sheriff who was the subject of the contempt request and who is working to eliminate an investigation backlog under court supervision.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

The Arizona law enforcement agency whose traffic stop practices were found to have racially profiled Latino drivers under the earlier administration of Joe Arpaio.

The details

Snow addressed Sheridan directly in court and encouraged better communication to resolve lingering issues, saying problems with command structure and third-party investigators should be relatively easy to fix. He said he would not hold the sheriff in contempt because Sheridan wants to eliminate the investigation backlog, and he moved quarterly community meetings to the federal courthouse and made them virtual after an emotional July 2025 meeting and disrespectful conduct toward the judge and monitoring team.

2013: The community advisory board was established to help the sheriff achieve compliance.
July 2025: An emotional community meeting got out of hand, prompting changes to the meeting format.
Two months before the hearing: Snow denied Maricopa County's motion for relief from judgment.
November 10, 2026: Snow declined to hold the sheriff in contempt in Phoenix.

Legal Context

The case traces back to the 2013 federal finding that the Arpaio administration racially profiled Latino drivers, which produced the community advisory board and ongoing court monitoring. Snow's decision to avoid contempt while pressing for better communication fits a pattern of federal courts favoring structured compliance over punitive sanctions in long-running police reform litigation.

Residents of Maricopa County, particularly Hispanic drivers, are affected by the enforcement practices under review, which the traffic data shows involve higher arrest and search rates. Community meetings on the sheriff's compliance have moved to virtual formats, which changes how residents can take part in oversight.

The takeaway

Ongoing federal oversight shows that court-supervised compliance can continue for years after an initial ruling, and residents who want to follow the case can track the court's upcoming decision on the county's objection.

What happens next

Snow said he will issue a ruling on the county's pending objection to the appointment of an independent investigator soon, and the county's appeal of his earlier denial remains before the appellate court.