New Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, largely considered the only conservative elected prosecutor in the state, held an open house Friday at his office for members of the community. In addition to Miller, several officials spoke including Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), who is running for governor, Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), State Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa), and State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff). The event focused on “partner[ing] on public safety, enhancing victims’ rights, and supporting President Trump’s tough on crime border policies,” according to the announcement.
Miller (pictured above) said he wants to “help make Pinal County great again.” He said they are the only county chasing down human smuggling operations on the highways. Although the Trump administration’s border crackdown has greatly reduced illegal immigration, he said there are still about three high-speed chases each week in the county. He has implemented a policy to prosecute those caught.
“Every human is made in the image and likeness of God,” he said, denouncing human trafficking. Miller said they have started a Special Victims Unit due to the child trafficking coming through the county. He said there have been two successful stings already. They are working on a bill at the Arizona Legislature that would toughen up laws in this area. It would eliminate the possibility of probation for the crime of child luring. Miller said they’ve discovered that many of the offenders are regular appearing people, including “school teachers, football coaches, and people with children.”
Miller told how he helped a victim of child trafficking in Oklahoma several years ago, who mistakenly sought out the person abusing her. He got her into therapy to reprogram that mindset. After she successfully completed it, she told him thank you, that he had rescued her, and his military background was especially helpful. Miller served in the U.S. Marines Corps Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and still does. The young woman went on to enlist in the Marines herself, finishing boot camp and becoming a Marine.
Biggs called Miller “a gift this county has received.” He said the No. 1 human smuggling corridor goes through Arizona, including Pinal County. He said human trafficking is “akin to modern day slavery.” He said it is important to combat it since “God will bless this land if we humble ourselves.” He praised Arizona for being “a state of rugged individuals.”
Crane, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives, spoke about the changes being made on the federal level to stop human trafficking. “We didn’t need comprehensive immigration reform to secure the border, just a new president,” he said. Crane’s border security bill, the Subterranean Border Defense Act, passed the House earlier this month. It would “strengthen border security by boosting Congressional oversight of illicit cross-border tunnel operations.”
Petersen said 200 people move to Arizona every day, in large part because it’s “safe.” He also cited Arizona’s lowest flat tax in the country. He praised Pinal County’s prosecutors, noting that California finally had to pass a law getting tough on crime since their prosecutors were so bad.
Rogers explained why Miller won. She said when he told her he was entering the race, she had two questions for him; was he knocking on doors and raising money. Miller responded and said he’d knocked on thousands of doors and raised $100,000. Rogers said that is rare. She ended, “It’s about the law irrespective of politics.”
Miller introduced his chief deputy, Gina Godbehere, as an experienced prosecutor with over 36 years practicing law. Godbehere ran for Maricopa County Attorney last year but was defeated in the Republican primary by the incumbent, election fraud denier Rachel Mitchell.
Godbehere provided The Arizona Sun Times with a tour of the facility. She explained that Pinal County law enforcement is in the process of outfitting deputies with body cameras, but it has become a very expensive process since every video requires redacting before it can be released to defense attorneys and others. She said Maricopa County employs 40 clerks for redacting. The cloud storage for all the footage is expensive, around $100,000 annually.
Employees are required to work in the office at least three days a week. They are planning on starting a podcast in July. The election integrity section is being expanded, including hiring outside attorneys to assist.
The Pinal County Attorney’s Office is located in the town of Florence, known for its multiple state, federal, county, and private prisons. The office is located within walking distance of the Arizona State Prison Complex, which contains the state’s execution chamber.
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
