Ethics Hearing Spurs Motions

It was supposed to be an initial case-management conference to set a trial date and other deadlines for the ethics case against former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and two of his former deputies.

But the only thing that was established during Thursday's hearing was that this will be a long and contentious process.

Attorneys for Thomas and the deputies, Lisa Aubuchon and Rachel Alexander, asked that the judge step down, that the special prosecutor be disqualified and that the entire method of trying the case be returned to the state Supreme Court's old rules for lawyer discipline.

Attorneys for the three former prosecutors also asked that TV and still cameras be banned from the courtroom and requested the proceedings be closed to the public altogether.

Presiding Disciplinary Judge William O'Neil denied all of their motions except the question about cameras, which he took under advisement, meaning he will issue a ruling at a later date.

Wilson and Moriarty also complained because the method of trying attorney-discipline cases changed on Jan. 1. The three attorneys, therefore, were charged under one system and are being tried under another.

Among the differences is that the number of "probable-cause panelists," who determine whether there's sufficient evidence to continue, increased to three from one.

The initial findings by Sudler and his boss, John Gleason, were filed in November and approved by a probable-cause panelist in December, under the old system.

The three were formally charged Feb. 3 with ethics violations that include conflicts of interest and filing criminal and civil cases without probable cause or sufficient evidence.

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Ethics Hearing Spurs Motions