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The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona has filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel alleging that her office illegally coerces defendants to accept pre-trial convictions through plea deals. According to the complaint, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court of Arizona, the Maricopa County Attorney s Office has a standing policy of threatening every single person they charge in certain pre-trial court proceedings with substantially harsher plea offers when defendants request preliminary hearings and try to take their case to trial. The filing alleges that prosecutors frequently issue the threat at the top of their initial written plea deal offer and read it into the record at status conferences in front of judges.

United statesMaricopa countyJared keenanJennifer liewerJosh keletyAmerican civil liberties union of arizonaSociety of professional journalist sigma delta chiUs district courtMaricopa county attorney officeNew timesAmerican civil liberties unionMaricopa county attorney allister adelMaricopa county attorneyRetaliation policyEarly disposition courtsPhoenix new time