This kind of gross, inhumane injustice is why we urge everyone in Arizona to support Lilia Alvarez for Supervisor, Paul Penzone for Maricopa County Sheriff, Dr. Richard Carmona, Vote Matthew Cerra and other candidates standing up against the extremism and corruption that has overtaken AZ, especially Maricopa County, politics. For everyone outside Arizona, consider helping with a donation, Facebook “Like,” spreading word to your friends and your prayers!

From Citizens for a Better Arizona and press release below:

Yesterday, Supervisors Kunasek and Wilson voted to deny the Braillard family a $3.25 million settlement for the loss of

 their mother and grandmother due to gross misconduct on behalf of Sheriff Arpaio’s Detention Officers. Wilson and Kunasek once again acted to protect Sheriff Arpaio from another multi-million dollar settlement just 6 days before the election instead of acting in the best interests of both tax payers and the Braillard family.

DEBORAH BRAILLARD DEAD AT AGE 46 (2005)
Died while in custody by Sheriff Arpaio and his detention officers. Ms. Braillard was denied medical treatment for diabetes and suffered a tortuous death as her body began to react violently from being deprived of the medicine she needed.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tim Bourcet
928-273-3619
[email protected]
Kunasek flip-flops, plays politics in vote against settlement of diabetic jail case
Maricopa County Supervisor Andy Kunasek today voted against settling a lawsuit over
the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s failure to properly treat a diabetic inmate,
resulting in her painful and unnecessary death. Kunasek earlier had indicated that he
supported the proposed $3.25 million settlement. This failure to settle means that the
county’s $2.2 million legal tab for this lawsuit will grow, and the county may be
subjected to court sanctions for having destroyed or altered documents in the case.
“Mr. Kunasek’s actions in this case show that he is woefully out of touch with the
concepts of proper risk management, fiscal prudence, and basic honesty and respect
for the court system,” said Lilia Alvarez, who is running to unseat Kunasek from his
District 3 post in the November 6th election.
On October 17, county supervisors had planned to vote on settling the six-year-old
lawsuit for $3.25 million but delayed the vote until today. At today’s session, Kunasek
reversed his earlier position and voted against settling the case. Kunasek, who is not
a lawyer, explained that questions raised during public comment were best
determined in court.
“Kunasek is not acting in good faith and is playing politics with a very costly lawsuit
the was brought because of a horrific death that occurred on the county’s watch,
and he should base decisions regarding whether the court should determine an issue
on the advice of legal counsel,” Alvarez said. “He is gambling taxpayer money in a
case where the jury verdict could easily be five to ten times the settlement amount,
given the grim facts of this case.”
“Worse yet, Kunasek has not even raised an eyebrow at the fact that the sheriff’s
office altered or destroyed evidence in the case,” Alvarez said. “This is serious
wrongdoing that could result in court sanctions against the county.”
When Braillard was booked, her jailers conducted an intake process that lasted just 59
seconds, wherein the jailers failed to note that she had diabetes. Braillard suffered
increasing pain and discomfort for three days, while her jailers ignored or disregarded her
deteriorating situation. She was finally taken to a hospital, where she died 18 days
later. Recent news reports revealed that the Sheriff’s Office destroyed or altered evidence,
including Braillard’s jail intake report that would show the sheriff’s office’s culpability in
failing to note that she had diabetes