Feds Call Off Criminal Probe of Sheriff Joe

Federal prosecutors will not be charging infamously tough Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio with abuse of power, reports the AP. Arpaio and his allies had been feuding for three years with other officials in Maricopa County, with the sheriff bringing public corruption cases against officials who disagreed with him. Those cases never succeeded, and in return the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors had asked for an investigation of Arpaio's office in November 2010.

"I said all along I would be cleared in this case," said Arpaio, reports Reuters. "My people are not crooks. They are trying to do their job." However, the US Justice Department lawsuit against Arpaio for alleged civil rights violations will continue, as will a class action lawsuit by five people of Hispanic heritage alleging Arpaio engaged in racial profiling. (More Joe Arpaio stories.)