In hot water, detention officer schedules news conference tonight

By Nick R. Martin | November 30th, 2009 | 5:21 pm | No Comments »

Detention officer Adam Stoddard has called an 8:30 p.m. news conference on the plaza of Maricopa County’s main courthouse, his attorney tells Heat City. However, the attorney played coy when asked whether an apology is in the offing.

“You’ll have to come to find out,” said deputy county attorney Tom Liddy.

When Liddy was asked whether he stood by his previous statements that Stoddard would not apologize, he said: “Everything I’ve said to you is always correct. You know that.”

Stoddard was caught Oct. 19 on a courtroom security video swiping a confidential file from a defense attorney while she had her back turned to speak before the court.

On Nov. 17, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ordered that Stoddard must hold a news conference to apologize on the plaza of the Maricopa County Superior Courthouse by today or else he would send the young officer to jail for contempt.