PHOENIX — The Maricopa County prosecutor at the center of a controversy involving Black Lives Matter protesters who were wrongfully charged with crimes in 2020 has been served with a notice of dismissal letter.
April Sponsel was placed on administrative leave last March as the Maricopa County Attorney's Office reviewed her actions involving a case where more than a dozen political protesters were indicted in October 2020.
Former County Attorney Allister Adel later chose to dismiss the charges after activists and reporters began to scrutinize the evidence against the protesters.
While MCAO believes some of the defendants committed crimes during the protests, the agency thinks Sponsel wrongfully pursued charges against innocent people.
In a letter recently served to the prosecutor, MCAO staff said they found Sponsel to display "a disturbing pattern of excessive charging" and failed to review evidence that was available to her.
"During your administrative review hearing, you expressed little concern that you had indicted a factually innocent person for extremely serious crimes," the letter states.
MCAO further faults Sponsel for not taking the time to review evidence that could have exonerated the protesters.
"You did not do so in this case, and it resulted in an innocent person remaining under a felony indictment for months," the dismissal letter states.
As a result, MCAO has informed Sponsel that the agency intends to terminate the prosecutor. The agency will have to hold a pre-determination hearing before making a final decision to terminate Sponsel, who will have a chance to appeal the termination.
Sponsel filed a defamation lawsuit against Adel before the former county attorney's death in April, claiming Adel used Sponsel as a scapegoat in the protester scandal.
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