In April, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s attorneys asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for a jury trial in United States v. Arpaio after a lower court judge refused his request. This week, the 9th Circuit refused to consider Arpaio’s request.
The lower court judge insisted that Arpaio is only entitled to a bench trial in his contempt case. Arpaio asked the 9th Circuit justices to expedite a response to his request.
The Court found, “Petitioner has not demonstrated that this case warrants the intervention of this court by means of the extraordinary remedy of mandamus. Accordingly, the petition is denied.”
Currently, Arpaio’s case is scheduled to be heard on June 26.
Arpaio faces up to six months in jail is he is found to be in contempt of a 2011 order that required him to cease his immigration enforcement patrols.