Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Full surrender by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, who held a press conference in Phoenix this afternoon to admit it was stupid to arrest New Times founders Jim Larkin and Michael Lacey for revealing a grand jury subpoena. Thomas also said the special prosecutor behind the charges is out. "We are not going to proceed with this investigation," said Thomas. "The charges are going to be dismissed. And the matter is going to end....There is a right way and a wrong way to bring a prosecution. And what happened here was the wrong way. I do not condone it. I do not defend it. And so it ends today." The controversy began when New Times, after years of reporting aggressively on local Sheriff Joe Arpaio, published his home address on the Internet, in apparent violation of state law. (The paper also has published the address in print, but that's apparently not against Arizona law.) Larkin and Lacey were arrested last night at home after a story ran under their byline disclosing that the paper was under a grand jury subpoena. That too may be against the law in Arizona. Anyway, they're now in the clear and have a new crusade to rail about.
Earlier today: Lacey and Larkin arrested in story dispute