The Arizona Supreme Court has upheld a two-year suspension for former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel, who brought gang-related charges against protesters with minimal evidence review.
Key Insights
- Former prosecutor April Sponsel received a two-year suspension after “knowingly” violating her duty to act in good faith when prosecuting 2020 protesters.
- Sponsel filed gang-related charges against 15 demonstrators after minimal review of over 100 hours of body camera footage and 250 pages of police reports.
- The misconduct led to the dismissal of over 40 felony cases and Sponsel’s firing from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in 2022.
- The Supreme Court determined that Sponsel’s actions caused “significant injury” to the defendants who faced serious charges.
Prosecutor’s Misconduct Leads to Severe Professional Consequences
The Arizona Supreme Court has made a decisive ruling by affirming a two-year suspension for former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel. The disciplinary action stems from ethical violations committed while prosecuting individuals arrested during Phoenix protests in October 2020. These demonstrations occurred in the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd and Dion Johnson, events that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality. Sponsel served as the lead prosecutor in cases against 15 people arrested during these protests, bringing serious gang-related charges against them.
According to court documents, Sponsel filed these charges with minimal evidence review, despite having access to over 100 hours of police body camera footage and 250 pages of police reports. The Supreme Court found that Sponsel had “knowingly” violated her duty to act in good faith by failing to thoroughly review the evidence before filing charges and continuing to neglect proper review as litigation progressed. This negligence ultimately led to the dismissal of over 40 felony cases when the issues came to light.
Investigation and Disciplinary Action
The case against Sponsel gained public attention following an ABC15 investigation titled “Politically Charged” in February 2021. This media scrutiny triggered an internal investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO), which subsequently resulted in the dismissal of all charges against the protesters. The investigation revealed serious flaws in how the cases were handled, with insufficient evidence to support the gang-related charges that had been filed against the demonstrators.
The professional consequences for Sponsel were significant. On March 2, 2022, she was placed on administrative leave by the MCAO and was ultimately terminated from her position in June of that year. Following her dismissal, the State Bar of Arizona filed ethical charges against her, culminating in a disciplinary panel imposing a two-year suspension in late 2023. Despite these findings, Sponsel maintained her innocence throughout her disciplinary trial, denying any wrongdoing in how she handled the prosecution of the protesters.
HEADLINE: AZ Supreme Court releases decision upholding protest prosecutor’s suspension
Bottom line: Don’t collude with police to invent a gang to falsely charge protesters as members. https://t.co/9hcHl3kM26
— Dave Biscobing (@DaveBiscobing15) April 12, 2025
Supreme Court’s Ruling and Broader Implications
The Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the two-year suspension underscores the seriousness with which the justice system views prosecutorial misconduct. In their ruling, the court emphasized that Sponsel’s actions caused “significant injury” to the defendants who faced serious charges with potentially severe consequences. The court’s decision serves as a reminder of the substantial responsibility prosecutors bear in ensuring that charges are supported by adequate evidence and that due diligence is exercised throughout the litigation process.
This case highlights the critical importance of ethical conduct within the legal profession, particularly for those wielding the considerable power of a prosecutor. The justice system relies on prosecutors to act as fair-minded representatives of the state, pursuing justice rather than convictions at any cost. When this trust is broken, as in Sponsel’s case, the consequences extend beyond individual careers to impact public confidence in the legal system itself. The two-year suspension represents not just a personal setback for Sponsel but also sends a clear message about the standards of conduct expected of all legal professionals in President Trump’s America.
Sources:
- AZ Supreme Court releases decision upholding protest prosecutor’s suspension
- Arizona Supreme Court upholds former Valley prosecutor’s 2-year suspension
- Arizona Supreme Court upholds former Valley prosecutor’s 2-year suspension – DNyuz
