Phoenix • A lawyer for an elected official in metro Phoenix charged with running a human-smuggling scheme involving pregnant women from the Marshall Islands says Tuesday that his client is willing to go to court to challenge other officials who suspended him without pay after his arrest.
Attorney Kory Langhofer says Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen will try to amicably resolve the dispute, but if that fails, he'll file a lawsuit contesting the county governing board's decision to impose a 120-day unpaid suspension.
Langhofer said the Oct. 28 decision isn't constitutionally sound, explaining his client and the board are equals who can't oust each other.