Here’s how to force out Allister Adel

Allister Adel’s political career is over. There’s no way voters will reelect her. She’s a lame duck messing everything up at Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Yet she’s dug in hard on staying in office. Why? What does she get out of it, especially when she’s pretty much persona non grata?

I just don’t get it.

Her stubbornness is not only exasperating. It’s hurting Arizona’s largest prosecutorial agency that oversees everything from misdemeanors to death penalty cases.

She needs to go — one way or another. But first a recap of her troubles.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has been in disarray under Adel. Last summer she checked herself into rehab for alcohol abuse, anxiety and an eating disorder. She wasn’t honest with her staff or the public about that.

Things have spiraled out of control ever since. Her office brought bogus charges against Black Lives Matter protesters (which were latter dismissed) and most recently dropped the ball on 180 misdemeanor cases that ranged from drunken driving to domestic violence to assaults to criminal damage.

Adel’s top staffers say she’s been drunk on the job, prompting them to ask the State Bar and county supervisors to investigate. Her division chiefs asked her to resign, and she responded by asking them to resign if they don’t like working for her. Her communications director did just that, saying questions about Adel’s sobriety had become a distraction.

There has been a chorus of folks asking her to resign. Things are so bad that even the ever-cautious Republican Gov. Doug Ducey criticized her, saying she must stop pointing fingers at everyone else and take responsibility for the 180 dropped cases. Adel later said he was right and apologized to victims.

Other than quitting, options to remove her aren’t quick or easy. But they do exist.

1. Ask voters to recall her

A recall may be the best-known option to remove elected officials. But collecting signatures to force an election to remove her takes time and money. A group began talking about recalling her, but it looks like nothing came of it.

Adel was appointed in 2019 and elected in 2020. She has two and half years left – too long to let her keep destroying the public’s confidence in the justice system.

The effort is worth it, but what if no one has the money or energy to take on such a task? Plus, the clock is ticking and the damage she’s inflicting can’t be ignored.

2. Convene a grand jury

A second option is little known, but as The Arizona Republic has reported, the grand jury process is confusing at best. Technically, a state or county grand jury could be convened, which in turn could launch an investigation into accusations and determine whether to remove her.

But as former County Attorney Rick Romley – a Republican who supported Adel but is now calling on her to resign – has noted, it’s unclear exactly who could (or would) call for such a grand jury, or who could bring an accusation against Adel to that group.

3. Take her lawyer license away

That brings us to a third option: Stripping Adel’s attorney license. That would automatically mean she could not continue as county attorney because she needs to be licensed and in good standing with the Arizona State Bar.

The Bar regulates lawyers’ conduct and has the power to recommend discipline that could lead to suspension or revocation of her license. It could investigate if an attorney like Adel is unable to carry out her duties because of a disability, which in her case could include addiction.

The Bar is, in fact, investigating Adel at the request of her top deputy, who alleged she’s been absent for long periods and appeared to be drunk on the job.

We don’t know, however, how long it might take for the Bar to recommend any disciplinary actions against her. Regardless, any recommendation would then go to a Supreme Court’s committee, which in turn can take its sweet time to act.

4. Have the county supervisors step in?

Exasperating, right? A final alternative is the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who met in executive session last week to discuss what authority – if any – it might have over Adel. It’s unclear what came of that; a spokesperson for the supervisors is looking into it.

The simplest resolution would be for Adel to quit. But she won’t.

Instead, Adel insists on sticking with a job where nobody likes her.

I have compassion for her personal struggles, but she is inflicting serious damage on the justice system on which five million residents rely.

If she won’t leave willingly, we should at least consider the alternatives by which we can force her to go.