Community Newsletter

February 2025

Highlights

INSIDE THE COURTROOM

Conviction on Bomb Threat Made to Local School

Justice Alert

Our attorneys have plenty of success upholding justice in courtrooms throughout Pima County, and we recently developed a new way to share information about those trial wins. If you follow our social media platforms, you’ll see what we call “Justice Alerts” that highlight the hard work done by the wonderful folks in our criminal, civil, and victim services units. It’s a way to let our community know what our teams at PCAO are doing to make Pima County safer and healthier.

In the interest of transparency, we will continue to share our trial calendars so community members know what cases are coming up.

Argument for Gun Ordinance in Pima County

In March 2024, the County adopted Ordinance 2024-2, requiring that gun owners report the loss or theft of a firearm to law enforcement, with the aim of preventing illegal transfers of firearms to prohibited possessors who could then use them in the commission of serious crimes. Shortly afterward, plaintiffs Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc.– a gun rights group – and one of its members filed a case in Pima County Superior Court, challenging the County’s authority to enact the ordinance.

Chief Civil Deputy Sam Brown argued on behalf of the County that the ordinance was not overruled by a state law that prohibits local jurisdictions from regulating the possession of firearms because it did not affect anyone’s right to possess a gun. Co-counsel Diego Rodriguez argued that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the case because they had not shown they had been adversely affected by the ordinance.

After hearing oral argument on the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment, Judge Sakall ruled against the County and issued a permanent injunction preventing the County from implementing or enforcing the ordinance. The County will consider its options moving forward.

Guidance on Immigration

As January turned to February, the Pima County Attorney’s Office was pleased to make public the legal counsel provided to the Board of Supervisors and other county staff on how to appropriately and legally respond to federal officials within ICE.

As the county’s lawyer, that direction was given under the attorney-client privilege. However, when the Board of Supervisors voted to make the memorandum public, we were happy to oblige.

We are committed to abiding by legal requirements, with the understanding that anything viewed as unconstitutional will be argued in court. The full memorandum can be found here.

OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM

Delivering justice is our primary role. That work takes many shapes, including much effort that takes place outside of the courtroom. Here are some of the ways we furthered the cause of justice in February.

A listening session with the County’s Constables to help serve their on-the-ground needs.
A continued deep dive into budget needs.
A review of the justice-related bills moving through the legislature.
And continuing to navigate leadership in a time when a cool, calm, and collected approach is so desperately needed.

Our Specialty Court Program Director Nahrin Jabro was invited to a check presentation for Amistades, Inc., our partner in free Narcan distribution. We’re happy to be a part of much-needed efforts to help heal our community while giving lifesaving tools to those battling substance use disorder here in Pima County.
Laura and our Chief of Detectives, Fabian Pacheco, participated in this year’s 88-Crime retreat to meet with board members and talk about the needs of our community. The 88-CRIME Board of Directors held its annual retreat to discuss the inner workings of the program. Laura expressed her gratitude for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.

New Deputy Pima County Attorney's

We are currently in a recruiting and hiring frenzy. PCAO welcomed a new crop of prosecutors with a swearing-in ceremony that christened them as Deputy Pima County Attorneys. Meanwhile, attorneys from our Criminal and Civil Divisions set up shop at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where they interviewed upcoming law school graduates who are aspiring to be a part of “The People’s Office.” Our communications team was also on hand to talk about what we do at PCAO. The next day, our human resources team met with undergraduate students on campus at a separate job fair; they were focused on hiring support staff.

Celebrating Black History and Culture

February is Black History Month, and “The People’s Office” marked the occasion by honoring the significant contributions of Black Americans, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, historian Carter G. Woodson, and Judge Jane Matilda Bolin.

Building Community Through Reading

Love of Reading Week is one of our favorite outreach activities. Laura, along with PCAO Community Engagement Coordinator Maria Arey and Chief of Detectives Fabian Pacheco, visited Davis Elementary to read to the kids in both English and Spanish. During our trip, we were treated to an awesome performance by the Davis Mariachi Band. We also stopped by Grijalva, Ocotillo, Roskruge, and Mission View to see their smiling faces as well. Ahh, the joy of reading!

We Are Hiring!!!

We recruit legal researchers, litigators, and professional staff who use their unique talents to move our Office forward. You’re invited to apply to work for a progressive prosecuting agency that values accountability, public service, and outcome-driven thinking.
We offer excellent work-life balance, great incentives, and a generous benefits package, including:

Healthcare Options
Paid Leave Options
Flexible Work Arrangements
Retirement Benefits
Education Reimbursement Program
Tuition Discount Program
Employee Loan Program
Employee Referral Incentive Program
Wellness Program with up to $75 monthly medical premium discounts
Employee discounts for fitness clubs, goods and services
Pima County provides equal access and equal opportunity in employment and services and does not discriminate. View the Pima County Attorney’s Office EEO Utilization Report.

All open PCAO positions APPLY HERE

There are a variety of positions to apply for at PCAO

Messages of the Month

Here’s a look at some of the links to social media and podcast messages we’ve shared throughout the year.

All Podcast episodes are available here:

https://thepeoplesofficepodcast.podbean.com/

Social Media Posts:
Annual Report 2024

More Pictures From February

We had so many awesome pictures and figured we would share more!! High schooler Lexi, who is also the daughter of Annie Martinez, a paralegal here at PCAO, stopped by to take some photos of Laura for a special Business Portrait Competition. The goal is to showcase the professionalism, creativity, and impact of professionals in our area. GOOD LUCK LEXIE! We also wanted to share more pictures from Love of Reading 2025.