Joseph Michael Arpaio is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He served as the 36th Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017. Arpaio styled himself as 'America's Toughest Sheriff' and was known for his controversial and unconstitutional policies. His tenure was marked by numerous legal challenges, culminating in a criminal contempt of court conviction, for which he was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.