Judge Michael Gordon will preside over a hearing on May 15 at 9 a.m. in Maricopa County, where Pinal County’s lawsuit involving County Attorney Brad Miller will be addressed. The case centers on Miller’s signing of a 287(g) Task Force Model Agreement without authorization from the Board of Supervisors.
The hearing is open to the public via livestream and can be accessed at https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/calendar/today/ when proceedings begin. The case number is CV2026-008061. Both sides are expected to present oral arguments during the session, which may last up to three hours. The Board of Supervisors will have outside legal representation from Snell & Wilmer.
This legal dispute highlights ongoing questions about administrative authority and oversight within county government operations. Observers say the outcome could clarify procedures for entering into federal agreements at the county level.
Recent educational data shows that in Pinal County, most students struggled with state assessments: 76.3% of students in grades three through eight failed the mathematics section and nearly seven out of ten did not pass English during the 2022-23 school year AASA, according to the Arizona Department of Education. High schoolers also faced challenges, with an 81% failure rate in mathematics and a 73% failure rate in English on the ACT during that same period, according to the Arizona Department of Education.
However, more recent figures indicate some improvement: In the following academic year (2023-24), Pinal County saw that 17% of high schoolers passed math on the ACT and that about one quarter (23%) of third through eighth graders passed math on AASA assessments, according to the Arizona Department of Education.
The result of Friday’s hearing may have implications for how future agreements between county officials and federal agencies are managed.
