Citizens for a Better Arizona lead activist, Randy Parraz, surprised everyone on Tuesday when he dropped his lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on the very first day a jury was to be seated to consider his civil lawsuit.
Attorney Lisa Wahlin for the Sheriff’s Office said, “All along, we knew Parraz’s case had no merit. Apparently, he came to the same conclusion but at the eleventh hour. Parraz has made a living complaining about the Sheriff wasting taxpayer’s money. Yet, Parraz walks out of a meritless lawsuit that amounted to a colossal waste of time and money for the court and all involved.”
One court official described his behavior in court today as a “scared little kid” with a reckless disregard for taxpayers who now must bear the cost of the three year-long litigation stemming from Parraz’s arrest in September of 2008.
Parraz was arrested on September 29, 2008 by Sheriff’s deputies after disrupting a Maricopa County Board of Supervisors public meeting and refusing an order to leave the premises. He was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing, an arrest that generated significant media attention.
Several months later, Parraz sued the Sheriff’s Office claiming malicious prosecution and false arrest.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, “Parraz continued his campaign of harassing and interfering with the Sheriff’s daily responsibilities.” Most notably, he led the much publicized effort to recall Sheriff Arpaio. That effort ultimately failed. Other tactics included launching several protests including bringing live chickens up to the Sheriff’s Office, having a coffin carried by young people to symbolize deaths in the jail and other sophomoric actions that disrupted government.
Meanwhile, Parraz’s case against the Sheriff’s Office moved forward with lawyers on both sides busy at work. Now, three years into litigation, 30 jurors from all over the state were waiting today in court, assembled for what was to be a five-day trial.
Sheriff Arpaio reacted to Tuesday’s news.
“For years, Randy Parraz has harassed me and this office with his antics which the media always encouraged,” said Arpaio. “But in the final analysis, Parraz must have figured out what we knew all along – that a jury of his peers would see through his nonsense.”