WHAT A MESS!  A quick recap:  Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney have been investigating, indicting, interrogating and intimidating just about anyone they can.  Using the nation's 5th-largest court system for most of their actions, they have indicted and charged County Supervisors on situations that have been slammed by another county attorney and by a judge.  They have gone after a Superior Court judge with bribery charges, they have filed a federal suit against the whole bunch of them accusing the supervisors, judges, county managers, private attorneys on RICO charges.  They are going to court employees' homes on weekends to question them about various issues.  The County Supervisors have shut down funding for various projects being undertaken by the Sheriff and the County Atty.  Judges have been slamming the county's attorneys and have sent a sheriff's deputy to jail (for stealing notes from a defense atty in open court and not apologizing for it).  Criminal defense attorneys are trying to buy time for their clients by saying that the County Attorney can't prosecute them in Superior Court because of the ongoing conflict.  TPM has occasionally checked in on our surreal mess.

Today, the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court acted to try to prevent the court system from being part of the problem.  She issued an administrative order appointing a former Chief Justice, Ruth McGregor, as a Special Master to oversee the Maricopa County mud fight.  It will be a tough sandbox to referee and/or to dry out all the mud, but McGregor (who actually was a school teacher before law school) now has the power to appoint judges, issue subpoenas, hold hearings, etc.

No doubt, (just about) all Maricopa County residents are rooting hard for her!