New Times Co-Founders Win $3.75 Million Settlement for 2007 False Arrests

Six years after Sheriff Joe Arpaio ordered the arrest of New Times co-founders Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, Maricopa County has awarded them a $3.75 million settlement, reports Phoenix New Times:


Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin were taken from their homes in the middle of the night and jailed on misdemeanor charges alleging that they violated the secrecy of a grand jury — which turned out never to have been convened. Lacey was pleased with the settlement but expressed disbelief that the arrests ever occurred six years ago: “It was outrageous! Where in America do you arrest journalists for what they write?”

The co-founders announced that they will use the settlement proceeds to “help those who fight the good fight against government actors who attack the most vulnerable among us.”

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