PHOENIX — An appeals court has rejected Sheriff Joe Arpaio's bid to disqualify a lower-court judge who is presiding over a racial profiling case against the lawman.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday also denied a request by the sheriff that would have postponed contempt-of-court hearings set next week against Arpaio for his acknowledged violations of court orders in the profiling case.
The sheriff had asked the appeals court to disqualify U.S. District Judge Murray Snow on the argument that the judge created the appearance of bias when he questioned Arpaio about two secret investigations involving the judge that were done on the sheriff's behalf.
One investigation examined a claim that the judge's wife had allegedly told someone that Snow didn't want Arpaio to win re-election.