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Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen Won't Have Access To Some Evidence In Case, Attorney Says

Paul Petersen
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
/
file | agency
Paul Petersen in 2019.

Embattled Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen has pressed the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for evidence as he prepares for a hearing over his suspension. The board has responded through its attorney.

The strongly worded letter from attorney John Doran lays out the ground rules for next week’s hearing and takes issue with some of Petersen’s demands. It also details what materials the board will provide to Petersen and his attorney, Kory Langhofer. 

Langhofer says a lot of the evidence needed to present their case will not be provided.

"And so it’s disappointing. The hearing should be a place to present both sides fairly, get to the bottom of it. Looks like that’s going to have to wait until we get to court, rather than doing it at the hearing next week," said Langhofer.

Petersen is accused of operating an illegal adoption ring involving pregnant women from the Marshall Islands. In October, the board voted to suspend Petersen without pay for neglect of duty. 

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KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.