In a sharp turn of events, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kiefer has declared a former prison official, embroiled in contentious legal proceedings, not guilty of aggravated assault. The decision came down on former prison Lt. Mark Hasz, who made headlines prior to the altercation as a whistleblower exposing failings within the state's prison system.
The bench trial, which concluded without the input of a jury, followed an earlier attempt at prosecution that resulted in a hung jury. Last fall, according to reporting by ABC15, six of the eight jurors leaned towards Hasz's acquittal. Despite this, a second trial was called for, with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office seeking judgement from the bench instead of a the jury.
Hasz had previously been in the spotlight after discussing issues within the prison system pertaining to COVID-19 responses with ABC15, an act that some of his colleagues have described as the real reason behind his later arrest and the termination of his employment. Shaun Holland, also a former prison worker and whistleblower, was present during the alleged July 21, 2020 incident. He supported Hasz's claims, suggesting that the charges were "absolute retaliation," as stated in an ABC15 interview.
The controversies in Hasz's case are deepened by leaks of prison videos documenting violent incidents, which, as ABC15 has reported, were selectively forwarded for prosecution. During his first trial, the judge restricted the defense from disclosing Hasz's status as a whistleblower or presenting other uncharged prison use-of-force incidents. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has denied any retaliatory motives behind their decisions. "It is not, and never would be, the practice of this office to charge someone with a crime in retaliation for acts taken by an individual," said a spokesperson in a previous statement shared by ABC15. Critics, however, raise questions about the symmetry of justice when a whistleblower stands accused in a system already scarred by the very improprieties he sought to bring to light.
The acquittal is likely to reignite a broader debate on the treatment of whistleblowers and the mechanisms of accountability in state-run institutions. For Hasz, the ruling from Judge Kiefer, as succinctly stated in the court's verdict, "The court finds defendant Mark Hasz not guilty on the charge of aggravated assault," marks the end of a turbulent chapter, but underlines the ongoing struggle for transparency and rectitude within the criminal justice system.
