ARS 31-225 Interpretation

In Arpaio v. Steinle, 201 Ariz. 353, 354, P 3, 35 P.3d 114, 115 (App. 2001), the Court considered whether Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) section 31-225 required the Sheriff of Maricopa County to transport three prison inmates in the custody of ADOC to court for a civil trial. 201 Ariz. at 353-54, P 1, 35 P.3d at 114-15. Applying the statute's plain meaning, we rejected the Sheriff's argument that 31-225 did not apply in all instances in which an inmate was to be transported to court. Id. at 355, P 7, 35 P.3d at 116. In Arpaio, the Court held that the plain meaning of 31-225's requirement that the sheriff of the county in which an order issued provide the transport "when it is necessary that a person imprisoned by ADOC be brought before any court" was not limited to criminal cases and did not permit an exception to be carved out for civil cases.