Adel has been under scrutiny for weeks over her sobriety and absences from the office, which prompted investigations by the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
By Robert Anglen | Arizona Republic
Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel announced Monday that she is resigning effective Friday.
Adel offered no immediate explanation for her resignation. It remains unclear who will assume control of the nation’s third-largest prosecutorial office.
“I am proud of the many accomplishments of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office during my tenure, including policies that seek justice in a fair and equitable manner, hold violent offenders accountable, protect the rights of crime victims, and keep families safe,” she said in a statement released Monday.
Brnovich asks for report:Arizona’s attorney general demands explanation on 180 botched cases
Adel has been under scrutiny for weeks over her sobriety and absences from the office, which prompted investigations by the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Concerns about Adel’s leadership first were reported by The Arizona Republic in a Feb. 2 article that detailed reports she made a drunken after-hours call to a member of her staff and failed to weigh in on key legal issues facing the county.
Five top prosecutors in her office called for her resignation. After The Republic reported that Adel’s office had to drop 180 misdemeanor cases, the Arizona attorney general on Friday asked her to prepare a report on how the prosecution fell through the cracks.
