The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the owners of Phoenix New Times can proceed with a lawsuit against Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio for their 2007 arrest:

The owners, Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, sued in 2008 claiming, based on free speech arguments, that their due process rights were violated. They also argued they were falsely arrested and targeted for selective prosecution …

“No warrant for Lacey’s or Larkin’s arrest had been issued, and we cannot fathom what exigent circumstances compelled either arrest,” the appeals court wrote.