AZ GOP Top Director Arrested At Party Headquarters

PHOENIX - Just as Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen was concluding a meeting this morning at the Arizona Republican Party headquarters, he and fellow Republican leaders and staffers watched in shock as police officers handcuffed and took into custody their top staffer, Executive Director Brett Mecum, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the party.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Mecum was photographed just after midnight on April 10 by a stationary photo enforcement camera driving his Ford Mustang on the 101 freeway eastbound near 59th Avenue driving 109 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone.

The DPS statement says, "The state statute which covers criminal speeding applies to everyone equally. If there are valid criminal charges, the arrest of Mr. Mecum is like any other criminal speeding arrest. In this case, the charges speak for themselves."

Lee Miller, an attorney for the Arizona Republican Party, told the Arizona Capitol Times, "It was a silly, stupid thing to do and there is no excuse and there's no justification for it."

Six hours after Mecum's arrest, a fellow Republican Party staffer was still waiting to pick Mecum up from the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix.

Comments

[clamperken]

I'll bet there's more to this story than stated. Just a hunch, but the court may have sent him a court date which, if he failed to appear, would give just cause to find and arrest him. If I'm wrong and he wasn't given the chance to turn himself in, I find this a silly grandstanding show of authority carried out with the objective of publicly humiliating the accused.

[eposter]

Must be a Republican. Look at him pouting in his mug shot. Not so tough now are you Speed Racer?

[TCPITS]

Pink underwear and green bologna for him. As to persecution of republicans, HAHA. The entire state gov't is in their hands and especially Sheriff Joe.

[KIVPossum]

Interesting. I wonder if they workplace and handcuff every speeder 30 days after a camera photographs them? And 6 hours to be charged before you are released? They don't usually keep DUIs in that long, certainly not Careless and Reckless offenders.

[LostCause]

Only in the Republicanland of Arizona do you get arrested for what a speeding camera says. I am only surprised that it did not occur on a toll road.

[LREKing]

No toll roads here to my knowledge (but I could be wrong--who knows what Phoenix will come up with).

As for the stupid cameras, our R state government is working on getting them removed from all state highways after the contract with the camera company expires. Meanwhile, more are going up in Pima county in what is ostensibly an effort to control ~dangerous!~ speeding but is in fact just a way of getting more money. I fully expect them to be gone after a few years, or our county supervisors will be.

[YellowPanties]

This is awesome news for the GOP!

Finally one of their is arrested for something other than soliciting gay sex, corruption, or child molestation!

Hooray for the new GOP!

[bluerednot]

Wow - the speeding occurred Friday, April 10, 2009 at 12:30am - So, he had been out late Thursday night - doing what ever - probably was enjoying the beginning of a long weekend - because Friday was Good Friday - and wanna bet the Arizona GOP had Good Friday off? He really opened the Shelby up and let it fly... must have seemed like fun at the time .. figured it was his "right" -- then gets caught on the photocam - at this point I figure he should have a big fine & a bigger lawyer bill and be smarter in the future .....

Now three plus weeks later the police show up at his work and toss the cuffs on him. Hummm- It would seem that the arrest could have been carried out in a less theatrical way. Yeah I;m sure the police say that do this with everybody (and especially for 40+ over the limit) but I start to think maybe there is some back story here - wonder how many other unphotographed high speed exhibitions this Shelby has put on in other parts of Phoenix -

[dsws]

"the arrest could have been carried out in a less theatrical way"

Gotta agree with that. Arrest and prosecute him, yes. Make a show out of it, no.

[shespeaks]

It's political. His Mustang is a Republican too.

[Punkynsnow]

Randy looks a wee bit glum in his mug shot. He should cheer up. Since so many hours had passed from the time of the infraction to the time of his arrest, any alcohol he may have had in his system should have dissipated, so he's only looking at the embarrassment and expense of a speeding ticket.

Apologize, pay the fine and slow down Buddy.

[zakwouldhave]

Its weird, mostly around here the high school girls that work as hostesses drive Mustangs (their Dads buy them for them and sometimes have to back them out of the driveways for them....not joking). So I always thought Mustangs, at least the newer ones, were chick cars. Saltywench am I wrong?

[cobraxus]

"It was a silly, stupid thing to do and there is no excuse and there's no justification for it."

Did he mean his client speeding or the arrest?

[thepoliticalcat]

The arrest, of course! Cuffing in the workplace is for liberals and peasants. Breaking the law is OKIYAR.

[fr33d0mhawk]

Well at least the GOP party chairperson was not eating DIjon mustard, or we would really have to throw the book at him. Doesn't the Arizona justice system know that neocons are exempt from laws for the peasantry? Lock up evil liberals for using spicy mustard on their burgers, but by all means, let neocon drunkards drive 109 mph on our highways. They have places to go, mustard eaters to out. Stop targeting Haggard Family Value neocons for witch hunts. Laws do not and should not apply to Rush Limbaugh worshipping neocon elitists.

[GreenDayJohn]

Damn!! Big brother is watching...where in the hell can you have fun like that these days!! Ban those cameras!!

[pissedmichael]

I am most assuredly anti-GOP, but looking at the photo--is that really him? Something about it doesn't quite look right.

[Luvial]

Nice Stang!

[ncdem111]

I'm hoping everyone knows about the North Carolina GOP House member that was pulled over for driving 102 on his way to the legislative session, then was accused of having been drinking and acting inappropriately towards a page...

http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/allred_cited_friday_for_monday_speeding