Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel resigns amid questions of sobriety, absences
After weeks of beating back questions about her sobriety and absences from office, County Attorney Allister Adel announced Monday that she is resigning.
Adel offered no immediate explanation for her resignation, saying only she would leave office at 5 p.m. Friday.
It remains unclear who would assume control of the nation's third-largest prosecutorial office.
Her announcement caught the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors by surprise. The board was meeting with private attorneys about what, if anything, it could do about Adel's situation when it learned she was quitting.
Reaction: Criminal justice groups laud Adel’s resignation, but say it's only one step toward reform
In an emergency meeting Monday, the board voted unanimously to accept Adel's resignation while offering little insight into who will steer the office going forward.
Adel, a Republican, had been elected to serve until January 2025, with the position scheduled to be up for contention in 2024. Now, it will be on the ballot this year.
The board agreed to appoint an interim county attorney to serve until a new county attorney is elected. But deadlines are tight.
Candidates hoping to qualify for the August primary have just two weeks to file paperwork and gather signatures.
Board Chairman Bill Gates did not address the timing in a statement thanking Adel for her service.
"She brought to the office fresh ideas and important reforms, including increased focus on diversion in criminal cases," Gates said. “I believe Allister's resignation represents what is best for her, her family, the County's Attorney Office, and the criminal justice system.”
In her own statement, Adel made no mention of the controversies that have marked her tenure. Instead, she thanked supporters for electing her as the first woman to hold the 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.
Brnovich asks for report: Arizona's attorney general demands explanation on 180 botched cases
Concerns about Adel's leadership first were raised 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.
Adel's conduct has since prompted an investigation by the State Bar of Arizona, a rebuke by the governor, a demand for accountability by the Arizona attorney general and repeated calls for her resignation.
Five top prosecutors in Adel's office called in February for her to step down, saying her behavior was jeopardizing cases and eroding confidence in the office.
The division chiefs said Adel displayed "obvious signs of impairment" while conducting county business and had been out of the office for weeks at a time after seeking treatment in late August for anxiety, alcohol abuse and an eating disorder.
The division chiefs reached Monday declined comment.
The Republic reported on March 14 that Adel's office had to drop 180 misdemeanor cases after it forgot to file charges for more than a year. Adel blamed her staff.
Gov. Doug Ducey said Adel needed to take accountability, stop blaming her team and turn her office around. The Arizona attorney general on Friday asked Adel to prepare a report on how the prosecution of those cases fell through the cracks.
Ducey said Monday Adel made "a difficult, brave and very personal decision" to leave office.
"The men and women in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office have a tough and important job," Ducey said in a statement. "They stand on the front lines of law enforcement in our state’s largest county. We stand with them and will continue to support them during this period of transition.”
Who will succeed Adel?
Whoever the board chooses to serve as interim county attorney is required to be a member of Adel's party, a Republican. But Adel's decision to resign in late March has made the political process chaotic for those who want to be her elected successor.
If she had waited to step down until April 4, the Board of Supervisors could have appointed a replacement to serve until the 2024 election cycle.
By leaving office March 31, Adel will compel county voters to vote for a county attorney in 2022 and then again in 2024.
Board members on Monday called for an election to fill the upcoming vacancy. Candidates will square off in an Aug. 2 primary, with the winners moving on to the Nov. 8 general election.
By accepting Adel's resignation, the board cleared the way for candidates hoping to replace Adel to begin circulating election petitions Monday afternoon.
They must file a statement of organization and have until April 4 to gather thousands of required signatures.
Republicans need about 4,500 valid signatures, Democrats 4,200 and Libertarians 2,500 in order to qualify, county officials said.
Supervisor Steve Gallardo said Monday the board was meeting with lawyers in executive session about Adel when the news broke.
"We were in e-session while all of this was happening," he said. "We were hearing rumors and we didn't think it would come to fruition, but then it did.
Gallardo said the available window makes it nearly impossible for candidates to qualify to run.
Gallardo credited Adel with making the right decision.
"I applaud her and appreciate her decision to step down and seek help," he said. "She sure needs help."
Interim appointee must gain trust, Romley says
Former County Attorney Rick Romley said the issue of who will lead the office needs to be careful and deliberate — less about politics and more about justice.
"It's a tricky situation," he said.
Romley, who mentored and supported Adel when she sought the job, has recently called for her to step down. He said she has lost the trust and confidence of her employees, law enforcement and the public.
Whoever is appointed to replace Adel is going to have to work hard to restore faith in the office, he said.
"The next county attorney will have to rebuild, and it is not going to be an easy process," he said.
"Trust has to be built in three ways: The new county attorney will have to internally reach out to the staff, reach out to the community, and reach out to law enforcement to reassure them the county attorney is a capable partner."
Romley said he hopes Adel gets the help and support she needs.
"I wish her the very best," he said. "I hope she takes care of the personal challenges she has ahead."
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, who urged Adel to take a leave of absence last year, said her decision to leave is significant.
"Although we are human and make mistakes, we must be committed to accountability of our duties," Penzone said. "These issues of concern adversely affected victims and deteriorated public trust."
The County Attorney's Office handles all adult and juvenile felony cases and misdemeanors filed in justice court. It represents all county agencies in civil matters. The county attorney makes decisions about who to charge with crimes, when to authorize wiretaps and whether to seek the death penalty against someone.
Penzone said the County Attorney's Office must work diligently to restore trust and confidence in the criminal justice system.
"I wish County Attorney Adel health and happiness in her feature endeavors," he said.
Adel battled health, addiction issues
Adel for weeks has resisted calls to step down, describing questions about her behavior as distractions.
She has repeatedly said she is capable of running the office while seeking treatment for her addictions.
The Board of Supervisors appointed Adel to lead the agency in 2019 and she was elected in 2020.
Adel underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed on Nov. 3, 2020, election night. She was hospitalized at two medical centers for more than a month. She spent the beginning of 2021 recovering.
Adel went into rehab on Aug. 29 and was out of the office for 13 days before Penzone forced her to publicly acknowledge she was getting treatment.
Nineteen days after checking into rehab, Adel checked out and returned to work.
She made contradictory statements about how much time she has spent in rehab and the number of times she has relapsed or had "slip-ups." Adel also gave different accounts about a reported drunken after-hours phone call to a member of her leadership team.
Adel in February had Communications Director Jennifer Liewer escorted out of the office after she gave her three-week notice and writing that the office should not be put in the position of defending Adel's "sobriety and leadership."
Adel did not mention her addiction in the statement Monday. She also did not indicate what will come next for her.
"I want to thank the employees of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office," she said. "I value and respect the work and dedication you give to this office. Few people genuinely realize, or appreciate, how hard this work is or how committed you are to serving the greater good, but I do."
Her statement Monday came about a month after she told her five top prosecutors they were lucky to have jobs and could "stick it out or resign."
"I am confident that the important mission of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will continue," Adel said. "My dedication and service to my community does not end here."
Republic reporter Joshua Bowling contributed to this article.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Rreach him at [email protected] or 602-444-8694. Follow him on Twitter @robertanglen
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel resigns
