The Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) says they won’t be posting the mugshots of recently arrested child sex traffickers under the claim that Arizona law prohibits the posting of mugshots.
“It is currently against the law in Arizona to post mugshots and names on social media related to arrests,” said SPD.
However, it’s not Arizona law that prohibits the posting of mugshots. SPD based their claim on the 2024 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Houston v. Maricopa. The agency involved in that ruling, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), modified their mugshot posting practice in order to comply with that ruling.
It is currently against the law in AZ to post mugshots and names on social media related to arrests. There are exceptions for emergency community notifications, such as wanted armed and dangerous suspects. Most of the cases from our anti-trafficking are DECOY BASED. Meaning an…
SPD issued the statement in response to criticisms that they failed to post the mugshots identifying around 200 individuals arrested in a weeks-long sex trafficking sting by SPD’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit from the end of January through mid-February.
Charges included child sex trafficking, attempted sexual conduct with a minor, luring a minor for sexual exploitation, prostitution and pandering, and weapons misconduct. Some of those individuals arrested had outstanding felony warrants.
MCSO resumed their posting of mugshots in a manner they claim achieves compliance with the court ruling last August.
— Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (@MCSOAZ) August 21, 2025
An MCSO spokesperson, William Jinks, indicated at the time that the court ruling didn’t make it “illegal” to post mugshots. Rather, the judgment established guidelines for posting.
“The changes made to the mug shot page are in accordance with the opinion of the appellate court,” said Jinks.
The 2024 ruling found specifically that MCSO’s policy of posting mugshots was unconstitutional — not the entire practice of posting mugshots.
The court took issue with MCSO’s policy of posting personally identifying information with the mugshot (birth date, sex, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and arresting charges), removing the online posting after three days, and failing to identify the arresting agency.
Ninth Circuit Judge Marsha Berzon ruled that governmental transparency wasn’t a valid justification for MCSO’s mugshot posting policy.
“Governmental actions that harmfully affect arrestees pretrial can violate due process if impermissibly punitive, whether a condition of pretrial detention or not,” stated Berzon. “What is the public interest, for example, in publicly disclosing [the arrestee’s] weight? So, too, with other personal information including his birthdate, height, eye color, and hair color. The County nowhere purports to show, much less succeeds in showing, why this level of granular detail about [the arrestee’s] body and personal identity rationally furthers an interest in government transparency.”
MCSO adapted its policy to resolve those contentions by the court. The new mugshots page lists far less information: booking number, first and last name, and charges. Mugshots also have watermarks identifying MCSO as the arresting agency. The page also has a disclaimer posted at the top: “All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.” The page only includes the 100 most recent mugshots.
Houston v. Maricopa is currently under civil appeal within the Arizona District One Court of Appeals. The latest development in that case was the court’s approval last month for oral arguments.
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Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) warned that “vetting isn’t optional” as lawmakers consider a measure urging federal authorities to review whether the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) should be designated as a terrorist organization. Petersen cited the role of former Democratic state Rep. Martin Quezada as a government affairs representative for CAIR Arizona.
In a statement released by the Arizona Senate Republican Caucus, Petersen referenced Quezada’s current role representing the organization at the state Capitol while lawmakers debate legislation related to CAIR and similar groups. Petersen warned in the statement that vetting matters, adding that lawmakers should carefully examine organizations and the individuals representing them when considering legislation involving national security concerns.
“This is exactly why the Senate’s vetting process exists,” Petersen said.
“When someone is nominated to run a state agency, the Senate’s job is to ask the tough questions, dig into their history, and make sure they are fit to serve the people of Arizona. In this case, the nominee was rejected – and now he’s working for an organization that promotes radically dangerous ideologies and is being considered for terrorist designation at the federal level. Imagine if we hadn’t done our job. That person could have been running a state agency. Vetting isn’t optional. It’s about protecting our citizens and making sure the wrong people are never put in those powerful positions. The Senate will continue to hold the line.”
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senate President Warns Vetting Matters as Lawmakers Consider CAIR Terrorist Designation Measure
CAIR is a U.S.-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization founded in 1994. The organization has previously faced scrutiny related to allegations raised during the federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation, a charity that was later convicted in 2008 of providing financial support to Hamas. During that case, federal prosecutors listed CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator. CAIR has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime in connection with the case.
As of this report, the federal government has not designated CAIR as a terrorist organization. The organization has been so designated by the states of Texas and Florida.
The remarks from Petersen came as the Arizona Senate considers House Concurrent Memorial 2002, a measure introduced by Arizona Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30) that urges the federal government to review whether CAIR meets the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
“HCMs are a democratic mechanism for legislative bodies to formally ‘speak’ to federal lawmakers, demonstrating that an issue isn’t isolated complaints but a widespread, organized citizen priority deserving attention and action. We have received 1000s of emails and calls for designation of CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists organizations. This is the will of the people,” Gillette said in a statement.
HCM 2002 passed the Arizona House of Representatives in a partisan 31-22 vote on February 26, with Gillette noting in a post to X, “HCM 2001 and 2002 supporting terrorist designation for CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood, All The AZ House Dems voted NO! They continue to support radical Islam.”
HCM 2001 and 2002 supporting terrorist designation for CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood, All The AZ House Dems voted NO! They continue to support radical islam https://t.co/quVPHlLAuj
— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) February 24, 2026
In related comments posted to X, Gillette criticized Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-LD24) and Arizona Senator Analise Ortiz (D-LD24) writing, “She (Hernandez) read verbatim that CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood were linked and funded Hamas…… yet voted No, to declare them a Terrorists organization,” on Jan. 24 and “Don’t forget AZ. Senator Analise Ortiz, she held a CAIR meeting in her office this morning,” on Jan. 28, while the measure was in committee.
In September 2025, he noted support for CAIR amongst Democrat leaders, including Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, writing, “CAIR is a known front group for the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet Hobbs and House Democrat leaders stand firm in support.”
Concurrent Measures, such as HCM 2002, do not themselves create a designation. Instead, they formally urge Congress or federal agencies to conduct a review under federal law governing terrorist designations.
Federal law places the authority to designate foreign terrorist organizations with the U.S. Secretary of State. The designation process typically requires evidence that an organization is foreign in origin and engaged in terrorist activity or poses a threat to the national security of the United States.
The debate surrounding the Arizona proposal has drawn responses from both supporters and critics of the measure. Supporters argue that Congress and federal agencies should examine whether organizations operating in the United States have connections to extremist groups.
Opponents, including Quezada, have publicly opposed HCM 2002, with the former Democratic legislator calling the measure “nonsense,” according to The State Press, saying the legislation is intended to discourage CAIR supporters from speaking out. “The community in general is feeling targeted, because if they’re willing to go after one organization first, like CAIR, who are they going to go after next?” he added.
Quezada told the outlet in February that the measure succeeded in “trying to make an example out of CAIR.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has obtained election-related records from Maricopa County as part of an ongoing federal investigation connected to the 2020 presidential election. The confirmation followed independent reporting, which some members of the local press mischaracterized as describing a “raid.”
Petersen confirmed the action after a report from JustTheNews stated that federal investigators recently secured terabytes of election data from Arizona’s most populous county through a federal grand jury subpoena.
The subpoena sought election materials connected to Maricopa County’s administration of the 2020 election, according to the report. Sources familiar with the probe told the outlet that investigators obtained electronic election data as part of a broader criminal inquiry examining potential election-related misconduct.
The reported federal action follows other election-related investigations conducted in recent months involving local election administration across the United States, such as the FBI’s similar seizure of election records in Fulton County, Georgia.
Early responses to reporting from JustTheNews’ John Solomon included ABC15’s Garrett Archer mischaracterizing the report on the seizure under subpoena as describing a ‘raid,’ and as “either a full-throated lie, or something having to do with the recorder’s office.”
Solomon replied to the post, stating, “My story is accurate. When a grand jury subpoena is issued there isn’t usually a raid. The data is obtained usually from a third party. I’d ask your legislature what they know.”
Within minutes, a post from Petersen confirmed the JustTheNews article shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Petersen posted to X, “President Trump is 100% correct. Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.”
President Trump is 100% correct.
Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.@realDonaldTrumppic.twitter.com/C2T202VgZP
Congressman Abe Hamadeh’s (R-AZ08) Rapid Response team was quick to point out, “John Solomon’s report never mentions a ‘raid’ at all. The actual term used is ‘subpoena.’ Garrett Archer appears to have invented the raid claim just to knock down an easy ‘straw man’ argument.”
John Solomon's report never mentions a 'raid' at all.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, the contractors’ controversial report from the Senate-mandated audit documented multiple concerns about election administration procedures, while confirming that the overall ballot count remained largely consistent with the certified results.
Hamadeh issued a request for a full investigation into credible allegations that election security protocols in Arizona were breached during the 2024 General Election in June 2025 following reports alleging that large stores of printed blank ballots from several western states were “improperly mixed in a warehouse with returned voted mail ballots that were in the process of being prepared for tabulation” at Runbeck Election Services, a firm contracted by Maricopa County.
Blank ballots should never be mixed with live ballots. I’m urging the @DOJ to investigate Runbeck Election Services and Maricopa County’s role in Arizona’s 2024 election.
He wrote at the time, “This alarming situation raises serious questions about the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and potentially beyond. The commingling of blank ballots with live ballots poses a significant risk to the accuracy and fairness of election results. It is crucial that we have confidence in the integrity of our elections, and any potential mishandling of ballots must be investigated to ensure that the will of the voters is accurately reflected.”
Federal investigators have not publicly detailed the full scope of the current inquiry involving the Maricopa County records. The FBI generally does not comment on ongoing investigations.
Officials with Maricopa County have not publicly released a detailed description of the materials obtained by federal investigators or the timing of the request. Federal authorities have not announced any charges connected to the reported subpoena for Maricopa County election records.
A child sex trafficking victim reunited with the son she gave up for adoption in Arizona nearly 30 years ago.
The moment Phoenix native Jess Levinson and her son, born 1997, were reunited was featured in a short documentary by Live Action, a pro-life organization. Levinson now lives in New York.
Levinson recounted in the mini documentary that she was first sexually abused at nine years old, and was first sex trafficked when she was 12 years old. Levinson gave birth to a son at 14 years old. She was trafficked by her mother in exchange for drugs to her friend’s father, who manufactured drugs.
Levinson’s mother was an exotic dancer addicted to drugs, namely methamphetamine. According to Levinson’s nonprofit page, her mother was also victimized as a child and her father, a cocaine dealer, was not in her life. Levinson was almost the victim of abortion as well.
Levinson said she refused to go to a state-run group home for fear of them aborting her baby. She ran away from home and lived on the run until her child was 24 weeks old in the womb. Levinson said her case worker and staff members at the group home at the time criticized her constantly for not coming to the group home sooner so they could abort her son.
“When your entire body changes to support this life inside of you, it was very instantaneous for me. My job was to protect this life that I was nurturing,” said Levinson. “I just remember thinking, ‘This is not the end of my life having him, it’s the beginning of his. And I might not have everything I need to make a good life for him, but there’s no reason why that needs to terminate his existence before it even starts.’”
Levinson was able to spend three months with her son prior to giving him up for adoption. For years after adopting out her son, Levinson shared that she also struggled with substance abuse and continued to be trafficked prior to receiving help. It wasn’t until years later Levinson would get the help she needed. From there, Levinson met her husband and had other children.
The last time Levinson saw her son was when he was eight years old.
“Watching him grow up into who he is now has also been such a gift, such a blessing,” said Levinson.
Levinson now runs a safe housing project for at-risk mothers, Leah’s Place. Their goal is to provide an expansion of residential services for mothers victimized by trafficking. Levinson explained those types of current or expectant mothers don’t have much in the way of resources in her area, unless those mothers are willing to give up their children. Levinson said she wants to prevent the type of separation that she had to endure.
“Our goal and our aim is to provide that support to moms that they need to give to their little people in order to thrive. I want them to see the possibilities of what life could be like for their children in the future,” said Levinson.
At the end of the mini documentary, Levinson’s son said he was grateful his mother chose life for him.
“It’s been wonderful, it’s been a great life. It’s been more of a life than I can ask for. I’ve seen a really decent amount of this planet. Life is beautiful,” said Kale. “Bravery is choosing a really, really difficult path like that.”
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The U.S. labor market experienced a sharp downturn in February 2026, with nonfarm payroll employment declining by 92,000 jobs, according to the latest Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released March 6. This marked a significant reversal of January’s stronger-than-expected performance and fell well short of economists’ consensus forecasts for modest gains.
The Joint Economic Committee highlighted the figures in its Monthly Employment Update, noting that the decline consisted of -86,000 jobs in the private sector and -6,000 in government.
The headline unemployment rate (U-3) rose 0.1% to 4.4% while the broader U-6 measure—which includes underemployed workers—improved slightly, falling 0.2% to 7.9%. The labor force participation rate dipped 0.1% to 62%, and the employment-to-population ratio decreased to 59.3%.
Significant downward revisions to prior months compounded the weaker outlook. December 2025 was revised to show a net loss of 17,000 jobs (from an initial gain of 45,000), and January 2026 was adjusted down by 4,000 to 126,000 jobs. Combined, these revisions reduced reported employment gains for December and January by 69,000 jobs.
Sector performance in February showed mixed results. Gains were led by financial activities (+10,000 jobs) and other services (+8,000 jobs). Losses were concentrated in private education and health services (-34,000 jobs, influenced by strike activity in health care) and leisure and hospitality (-27,000 jobs).
On a year-over-year basis (February 2025 to February 2026), total nonfarm payroll rose by approximately 156,000 jobs, with strong contributions from private education and health services (+658,000) and leisure and hospitality (+126,000). However, notable declines occurred in federal government (-314,000) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-191,000).
Wage growth remained positive amid the slowdown. For all private non-farm employees, average hourly earnings increased 3.84% year-over-year to $37.32, while average weekly earnings rose 4.14% to $1,280.08. Among production and nonsupervisory employees, hourly earnings grew 3.69% to $32.03, and weekly earnings advanced 4.31% to $1,082.61.
The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data (for December 2025) indicated cooling demand, with nonfarm job openings falling by 386,000 to 6.54 million. Hires rose by 172,000 to 5.29 million, while separations increased by 107,000 to 5.25 million, including modest gains in quits and larger rises in layoffs and discharges.
The data points to emerging softness in the labor market, influenced by temporary factors including the severe winter weather and significant strike activity in health care, though broader indicators like wage growth and a still-low unemployment rate suggest resilience.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation to establish a memorial license plate honoring the late Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder, Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was assassinated last September while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, was motivated by Kirk’s Christianity and conservatism. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the ongoing case.
Hobbs said license plates should remain nonpartisan, though she said she condemned the political violence that killed Kirk.
Gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Andy Biggs blasted Hobbs’ veto.
“Charlie Kirk was one of America’s most influential voices and leaders. He made his home in Arizona, building a company and raising a family in this state before he was assassinated because of his political beliefs,” said Biggs. “Katie Hobbs had a chance to honor Charlie and she vetoed it. A simple license plate for Arizonans to show they stand with Charlie for freedom and Katie Hobbs vetoed it. We should not forget this petty and callous act.”
“Charlie Kirk’s assassination is tragic and a horrifying act of violence. In America, we resolve our political differences at the ballot box. No matter who it targets, political violence puts us all in harm’s way and damages our sacred democratic institutions,” said Hobbs. “I will continue working toward solutions that bring people together, but this bill falls short of that standard by inserting politics into a function of government that should remain nonpartisan.”
The state does offer at least one other license plate that could be considered partisan: Arizona Life Coalition has a “Choose Life” license plate.
Hobbs has exhibited zero tolerance for advocacy for political violence in her office. Months into office, Hobbs’ press secretary at the time, Josselyn Berry-Barker, resigned after promoting the shooting of those opposed to transgenderism.
Several months after her resignation, Berry posted on Threads that she wasn’t “sorry for sh*t,” and bragged about her immediate hiring by the progressive nonprofit, ProgressNow, which reportedly hired her on with a six-figure salary. According to her social media and LinkedIn posts, Berry no longer lives in Arizona, is no longer employed with that nonprofit, and has been out of work since early 2025.
Sen. Jake Hoffman, the bill sponsor, issued a response calling Hobbs “hypocritical” and partisan for her veto. Hoffman said Hobbs’ reduction of Kirk’s legacy to partisanship was an inappropriate diminishment of his impact on civic education and voter turnout.
“Even in the wake of a global civil rights leader — an Arizona resident and her own constituent — being assassinated in broad daylight for his defense of the First Amendment, Hobbs couldn’t find the human decency to put her far-left extremism aside simply to allow those who wish to honor him to do so,” said Hoffman.
Hoffman cited other cases of the memorialization of individuals that could be said to invoke partisanship, such as the freeway named after Democratic Congressman Ed Pastor.
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