Andy Biggs Introduces Legislation Reining In Federal Monitors

Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) has introduced legislation reining in court-appointed federal monitors for law enforcement.

Monitors are independent experts appointed to oversee and ensure compliance with federal standards after a state or local law enforcement agency has been found violating laws regarding police brutality, illegal searches and seizures, and other civil rights violations.

Rep. Biggs's bill seeks to break the cycle of entrenchment that occurs when monitors are appointed, as seen in Maricopa County. As he explains, three Maricopa County Sheriffs have implemented court-mandated reforms since 2013, but the monitor continues to demand more changes, far beyond the original ruling.

As a result, Rep. Biggs's Monitor Accountability Act imposes term limits of no more than 5 years on federal monitors and prohibits reappointment under the same court order.

Additionally, the new monitor must be announced and made available for public comment, cannot come from the same law firm or employer, and must have their compensation capped.

Moreover, a monitorship can be extended only if the state or locality has not achieved full compliance, and after six years, the case must be reassigned to a different judge.

"I have watched the consequences of these federal monitors up close and personal in Maricopa County for over a decade," the Arizona congressman said in a press release. "The federal monitor's continued existence in our county and propensity for moving the goalposts from his original charge only serves to exploit taxpayers and undermine the brave work of the men and women who serve our communities – and this is only one of dozens of similar arrangements across the country. It's time for Congress to take back the reins from rogue judges and monitors who have exceeded appropriate bounds."

Last May, Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) applauded the Trump Administration's official rejection of a weaponized "pattern and practices" report issued against the Phoenix Police Department, saying, "Promises made, promises kept."