Recording: Rogers wants reporter to ‘learn their lesson’ with injunction

The Flagstaff Justice Court will hold an in-person hearing to consider a challenge to an injunction against harassment the court issued against an Arizona Capitol Times reporter at the request of state Senator Wendy Rogers.

Rogers, R-Flagstaff, requested the injunction last week against Capitol Times Senate reporter Camryn Sanchez, who was investigating whether Rogers lived in the legislative district she represents.

Listen to hearing in which Sen. Wendy Rogers asks for an injunction against harassment against a Senate reporter.

The investigation included an examination of publicly available property records that show Rogers and her husband bought a 2,200-square-foot home in Chandler for $750,000 in January and signed a trust document that said she resided in Tempe, where she owned a home for many years.

Rogers’ legislative district includes Payson, Williams, Flagstaff and Show Low but not Maricopa County. According to her most recent financial disclosure, Rogers claims she lives in a 1,000 square foot mobile home in Flagstaff.

At an April 19 ex parte hearing, Magistrate Judge Amy Criddle declined Rogers’ request to bar Sanchez from the Arizona Senate but issued an injunction ordering Sanchez not to go to any of Rogers’ residences.

Because it was an ex parte hearing, meaning without notice to Sanchez, Criddle relied on Rogers’ opinion before deciding to issue the injunction preventing Sanchez from contacting Rogers at her home.

“Is that a standard practice for reporters to track senators at their residences? Do you know if that’s normal?” Criddle asked Rogers during the short hearing

“Judge, to my knowledge, it is not normal,” Rogers replied.

Rogers declined an offer by Criddle to hold a hearing with Sanchez present to consider the request to bar her from the Senate.

Rogers indicated she sought the injunction to teach Sanchez a lesson.

“So the idea here is for the person to learn their lesson and then leave the situation alone?” Rogers asked Criddle shortly after she agreed to sign the injunction.

According to court records, attorney Christopher Hennessy filed a request for an in-person hearing to challenge the injunction on April 25. The court scheduled a hearing in Flagstaff on May 10.

Judge Howard Grodman, the elected Flagstaff Justice of the Peace, will preside over the May 10 hearing. Grodman is a Democrat who has served since 2011.