Overview
- A public accountability meeting was held Wednesday at the U.S. District Court after prior safety concerns, with the judge outlining the case’s background and current posture.
- An independent audit released this month found about $160 million in MCSO spending attributed to court compliance was unjustified, with more than 70% linked to unrelated items such as vehicles, extra body‑camera licenses and a golf cart.
- Sheriff Jerry Sheridan rejected the audit’s conclusions, saying there was no mislabeling of funds and questioning the credibility of the federal monitor.
- Maricopa County projects the cumulative cost tied to the case and reforms will exceed $350 million by the end of the year.
- Monitoring continues due to unresolved disparities in traffic stops and a backlog of internal investigations, and MCSO must maintain full compliance for three years before oversight can end.