AZ Sheriff Arpaio Endorses Riverside County Judicial Candidate

A controversial Arizona lawman known for alleging that President Barack Obama's birth certificate was doctored is endorsing an attorney challenging a judge for a seat on the Riverside County Superior Court bench, it was announced today.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio released a statement hailing attorney Michael J. Kennedy as "the type of constitutionalist that we need to bring back the true meaning of what the founding fathers intended for the judiciary."

Kennedy is among the judicial candidates Murrieta residents will be asked to cast their vote for or against in the June 5 primary election. He was in Murrieta today for a scheduled at Juice It Up! at Village Walk Place.

Kennedy hopes to unseat Judge James "Jim" Cox, who presides over probate cases at the Palm Springs Courthouse and has been endorsed by nearly every sitting judge in the county, as well as the Riverside County Deputy District Attorneys' Association.

Kennedy, who has worked as both a prosecutor and public defender and is now in private practice in Palm Springs, touts the endorsements of Arpaio and actor John Wayne's daughter, Aissa, in campaign literature released today.

In March, Arpaio published findings from his Cold Case Posse suggesting that Obama's long-form birth certificate, released by the White House in PDF format, had been doctored. The six-month investigation was initiated after a local citizens group called on the sheriff to prove or disprove allegations that the president is ineligible to hold office because he's not an American citizen.

The U.S. Justice Department has sued Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department for alleged civil rights violations, including racial profiling of Hispanics.

—City News Service and Maggie Avants contributed to this report