Federal Judge Refuses to Erase Joe Arpaio’s Conviction Despite Trump Pardon

A federal judge on Thursday shot down former sheriff Joe Arpaio’s bid to sweep his criminal record clean.

Arpaio, the controversial former lawman in Arizona’s Maricopa County, was granted a pardon by President Trump on Aug. 25. He had been found guilty of criminal contempt of a federal court order after a five-day bench trial earlier this year and faced the possibility of up to six months in jail. After the pardon, the 85-year-old Arpaio petitioned the court to clear his record and prevent the ruling from being used in future litigation.

The case raised the novel question of how far a presidential pardon actually reaches.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton said the pardon only freed Arpaio from possible punishment. In a four-page order offering a check on the president’s executive power, Bolton wrote that a pardon could not erase the facts of the case. (Read more from “Federal Judge Refuses to Erase Joe Arpaio’s Conviction Despite Trump Pardon” HERE) http://joemiller.us/2017/10/federal-judge-refuses-erase-joe-arpaios-conviction-despite-trump-pardon/