| NEWS | Rangers from p 18 A separate, one-page document dated April 27 indicates the terms of the arrange- ments with the Arizona Rangers, a non- profit group of volunteer members with chapters throughout the state and a history that goes back to pre-statehood days. The group is to provide services including “to deter improper activity from occurring,” as well as other duties needed. The document makes it clear that the Rangers are not a law enforcement agency and are not re- sponsible for enforcing laws. Droll, in an interview last Tuesday, ac- knowledged that he worked with Fann to create the arrangement. The Rangers never asked for any particular dollar amount, and doesn’t require a fee, he said. He said he doesn’t know how the senate came up with the amount of $20,000. The Rangers did, however, insist that the con- tract state the $20,000 would be a contri- bution, not compensation, he said. “We require nothing for our commu- nity-based services,” he said. “We don’t write contracts.” Asked why he didn’t reveal the arrange- ment with the senate when asked in April who had brought the group in, Droll said he didn’t know, but added that when the audit first began, the press was “sneaking” around and he was concerned the public might be misinformed. Fann failed to return a message about the agreements. The hand-count of 2.1 million ballots is reportedly in its final stages. Sponsel from p 17 were held in Maricopa County jail facili- ties. The incarceration meant that Martin’s chemotherapy treatment for her liver can- cer was delayed, the claim states. In a motion for dismissal filed in court on August 24, 2020, attorneys representing Martin and Rourke said Sponsel “consis- tently disregarded Court orders” and en- gaged in “willful violations of the discovery rules.” They also accused Sponsel of with- holding “exculpatory evidence” and engag- ing in “lies and deceit.” “For over 1,400 days, MCAO built a case predicated on information from a CI, Allen Burns, and then proceeded to conceal its relationship with Allen Burns and conceal issues related to his credibility,” the notice of claim filed by Martin and Rourke states. “The egregious conduct deprived Tina Martin and Donald Rourke of their ability to successfully defend themselves against the State, and resulted in their prolonged and unnecessary incarceration.” Bruce Walker, an attorney with the Maricopa County Office of the Legal De- fender, who represented Rourke during his case, said that Sponsel lied to the grand jury to obtain the original indictments against Rourke and Martin. He added that when they interviewed Burns, the confi- dential informant who worked with the ATF, he walked back the claims that he made regarding the alleged murder scheme. “It didn’t make sense that he would want to kill his brother and he would do so with his own mother. I’ve been doing this a while and it didn’t sound right,” Walker said. “April tried to play it up to the grand jury, that at least one young kid in the house was going to be killed, but none of that is true. There were even lies to the grand jury at the start of the case.” “I really do believe she will do whatever is necessary, even if it’s bending the facts, just to get a conviction,” he added. On November 17, 2020, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Blair dismissed the cases with prejudice, citing Sponsel’s failure to respond to court orders and disclose evidence. “There are so many holes here in this case that I can’t even begin to list what’s missing,” Blair said, according to footage of “THERE ARE SO MANY HOLES IN THIS CASE THAT I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO LIST WHAT’S MISSING.” the hearing obtained by Phoenix New Times. “The failure to comply here was not harmless and you [Sponsel] could have dis- closed the information sooner with due dil- igence. The part that really bothers me about this is that two people have been in jail for four years and this case isn’t any closer to mov- ing forward.” Judge Blair added that his dis- missal of the case didn’t amount to an exoneration of the defendants: “It doesn’t mean any- body is innocent or anything like that,” he said. Now, in their forthcoming lawsuit, both Rourke and Martin are trying to capitalize on the backlash that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is facing over its flawed prosecutions of local Black Lives Matter protesters. “The fact that April Sponsel — who is currently under investigation and on leave for similar misconduct in other cases — was the prosecutor responsible for such ac- tions points to a deeper problem with MCAO and how it supervises and disci- plines its line attorneys,” the claim states. 21 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JULY 1ST – JULY 7TH, 2021
