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When we set out to investigate sexual harassment claims against #JodiArias prosecutor Juan Martinez, we heard over and over: It would be easier to get a list of women he did not harass in Maricopa County. This thread aims to show you what we found. https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-investigations/2020/08/11/jodi-arias-prosecutor-juan-martinez-accused-of-sexual-harassment/5513785002/
Who is Juan Martinez? He's one of Arizona's fiercest prosecutors, known for putting killers on Death Row. Maybe you read his book on the Jodi Arias trial. He was on the job for 30 years. Women in Arizona's legal community claim he harassed them for almost as long.
In our @azcentral investigation, @anneryman, @lauren_castle and I documented the accounts of 17 women who say Martinez harassed or mistreated them in various ways. Eleven women shared their claims of harassment or mistreatment. Martinez denies it happened.
Who are the women? They’re law clerks, judicial assistants, a court reporter, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, two jurors, a trial blogger and a probation supervisor. They worked with Martinez or ran into him at the courthouse. Their stories shared strong similarities.
Women said Martinez groped, humiliated and pursued them. They say he stroked their arms, grabbed a law clerk’s waist, invaded their space. But that was only part of his MO, they said. Former county court reporter Marla Knox said he would touch her back and whisper in her ear.
Women claimed Martinez routinely made vulgar comments and blatant come-ons. He asked them out day after day. He also gave them nicknames such as “Deep Throat.” You know, like the Woodward and Bernstein source from Watergate? No, not the X-rated movie.
Three women say he told them: “I f--- a lot of women in this courthouse, and you’re going to be one of them”; “Those are nice stilettos. I’d like to see them up close”; and “You have a nice voice. You’d make a great phone sex operator.”
Few women tried to report his behavior. They feared Martinez, who had become a household name for prosecuting Jodi Arias and other high-profile murderers, was too powerful, too prominent and too connected to be formally disciplined. They were right to be afraid.
Martinez categorically denies harassing women. In legal filings, he claims women either lied about what happened or misconstrued his intent. Remember “Deep Throat?” His attorney said It wasn’t Martinez’s fault if a woman assumed he was talking about the porno.
By now you might be asking yourself how his behavior was allowed to continue. Well, we wanted to know that, too. What we found will surprise you.
Before moving on, let’s talk about our investigation. It took 10 months and a team of editors, photographers, producers and designers to make it possible: @kathytulumello, @JPMcDonnall, @LeahTrinidad1 @d__woodward. Check the video by @photochowder
If you appreciate in-depth journalism and stories that hold people to account, maybe you should consider subscribing. We have a deal going on right now. Think of it as an investment in your community. https://cm.azcentral.com/specialoffer?gps-source=SEMSUMMERLOC&utm_medium=search&utm_source=digital&utm_campaign=2020BAU5&utm_content=SEMSUMMERLOC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8NiRzvy06wIVReDICh3u8wj5EAAYASAAEgKXEvD_BwE
Back to Martinez. It turns out he’s been accused of sexual harassment going back decades. And his supervisors @marcoattorney knew it. Judges @courtpio knew it. And the State Bar of Arizona @AZStateBar knew it. They didn’t do much about it.
His supervisors gave him raises. Judges did not censure him for misogynistic remarks in court. The State Bar of Arizona, which regulates attorneys, dismissed allegations against him for years. https://www2.azbar.org/
Judge Sherry Stephens reportedly told a judicial assistant who complained about being sexually harassed by Martinez: “Oh, Juan. He is just so unpredictable.” The judge declined to talk about the exchange.
How far back did allegations go? Well, Martinez was threatened with termination in 1991, just two years after being hired. Supervisors cited problems with women in the office. But after writing him up once, they didn't write him up again for 17 years.
Martinez flourished under County Attorneys Rick Romley, Andrew Thomas and Bill Montgomery (who now sits on the Arizona Supreme Court). But ask almost anybody – judges, attorneys, court staff, coworkers –and they’ll tell you Martinez allegedly kept harassing women.
Take Christine Bannon. She was a defense attorney in the late 1990s. She said Martinez harassed her during a murder trial: Told her to leave her husband; asked about having an affair; remarked on her legs, high heels; trolled her with his eyes; and grabbed her butt in court.
Bannon waited 20 years to file an ethics charge against him with the State Bar. Martinez said she made it up. He said she wanted to get payback for losing the case. Her charge was dismissed.
Then there’s Susan Stodola. She said Martinez shoved her head into an evidence box containing the moldering clothes of a murder victim. Years later, she filed a Bar charge against Martinez. The Bar took no action.
We found a pattern in the way Martinez defended allegations. He first claimed incidents never happened. He minimized misconduct as misunderstandings. Then he called the women liars and claimed they were out to get him.
Martinez’s lawyer also liked to selectively quote what women said during interviews, to make it appear they didn't really complain about Martinez. We found at least six examples of this in a letter to the State Bar. One woman said the truth of her claims was lost.
By 2017, allegations about Martinez prompted an internal county investigation. About 30 employees were interviewed. Martinez got a written reprimand. He kept his title, position and duties. Montgomery made sure the records were kept from the public. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2018/12/11/bill-montgomery-explains-why-juan-martinezs-records-sealed/2282024002/
You’ve probably heard by now what happened to Martinez. In February, County Attorney Alistair Adel fired him over new harassment allegations. Martinez vowed to fight and appealed. In July, he voluntarily agreed to be disbarred. He admitted no wrongdoing. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2020/07/17/former-maricopa-county-prosecutor-juan-martinez-disbarred-jodi-arias-allegations-sexual-harassment/5462212002/
But how did the guy known as “Teflon Juan” fall so far and so quickly after avoiding discipline on misconduct allegations for so many years? To answer that you need to dive deep into the Arias trial. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/09/12/juan-martinez-prosecutor-jodi-arias-case-cleared-state-bar-ethics-case/655024001/
This thread ends here. But the tale is not over. Coming Wednesday, @anneryman will tell you more about the Arias case and how allegations of sexual harassment against Martinez spilled over into claims of jury tampering.
