PHOENIX (CN) - Sheriff Joe Arpaio's lawyer-hating deputies beat an attorney so badly his brain bled and his shoulder was dislocated as he tried to calm down a client at the scene of an accident, the attorney and client say in separate lawsuits.
Daniel Kloberdanz and his employee and client, Valarie Lingenfelder, sued Arpaio, Maricopa County, its Sheriff's Office and other county employees, in Maricopa County Court.
Kloberdanz us a member of the Scottsdale law firm Berens, Kozub, Kloberdanz, and Blonstein.
Both lawsuits says that Lingenfelder called Kloberdanz for help on June 15, 2012, after she was involved in an automobile-motorcycle accident in Cave Creek, north of Phoenix.
In his complaint, Kloberdanz says he told Lingenfelder when he arrived "that if she wanted him to help, she would need to identify him as her attorney, but that it would be permissible to tell the authorities that he is her boss in the law firm where she works."
While Kloberdanz looked Lingenfelder's insurance card, defendant sheriff's Officer Joseph Pellino "performed a very brief eye test with a flashlight, and within seconds Kloberdanz saw that Pellino placed Lingenfelder under arrest and handcuffed her," the complaint states.
Kloberdanz says he "asked Pellino, very politely, words to the effect, 'Can I please go over and try to calm her down, I'm the only person she knows here.'"
Pellino then asked Lingenfelder "words to the effect, 'Do you know this man?' Lingenfelder then said, 'Yes, he's my friend, [then a slight pause] and he's my attorney.'
Pellino then walked back towards Kloberdanz, and before Kloberdanz could finish a sentence again requesting to approach Lingenfelder, much to Kloberdanz's surprise, Pellino shoved Kloberdanz in his chest so hard it knocked him over," the complaint states. (Brackets in complaint.)
The complaint continues: "Pellino shoved Kloberdanz so hard it left bruises on Kloberdanz's upper chest below his collar bone. From the shove, Kloberdanz slipped on the gravel and rolled on the ground, avoiding hitting his head on the gravel. Once Kloberdanz got his footing back, he stood up.
"Kloberdanz did not do or say anything that might intimidate or aggravate Pellino, knowing he had a gun and short temper.
"Again, Pellino immediately approached Kloberdanz aggressively and began yelling
words to the effect that 'I don't need you guys telling me how to do my job,' as he tackled Kloberdanz to the ground.
"While Kloberdanz was on the ground, Pellino yelled words to the effect, 'you're under arrest, put your hands behind your back,' which Kloberdanz did immediately. Pellino continued to scream anti-lawyer sentiments and words to the effect 'not needing you guys to tell me how to do my job' and 'I've been doing this for twenty-two years.'
"At that time Kloberdanz was in fear for his life, and he did not resist or attempt to
fight back.
"Within seconds after Kloberdanz was tackled by Pellino, two other officers which
Kloberdanz believed were sheriff deputies jumped on Kloberdanz. Kloberdanz now believes those other two officers were [defendants] Posseman [Robert W.] Burghart and Deputy Sheriff [Steven H.] Carpenter.