“The Phoenix Police Dept and the County Attorney’s office concocted a literal plan to frame protesters. They invented a fake gang.”
–ABC 15 Chief Investigative Reporter Dave Biscobing
Veteran investigative reporter Dave Biscobing is no stranger to shady law enforcement. But even he was disturbed by the level of dishonesty found in his 2022 duPont-winning investigations of the Phoenix police department and the County Attorney’s office. ABC15’s Biscobing was awarded a Silver Baton this year for two ongoing series about corruption in the local criminal justice system. The first, “Full Disclosure,” exposed officers lying on the witness stand without consequence even as innocent defendants then languished in prison. The second, “Politically Charged,” showed how police and prosecutors fabricated outlandish charges against peaceful protesters.
Biscobing’s work reveals not only how Arizona law enforcement failed “to hold themselves accountable and respect people's constitutional rights,” but also the real-life impact it had on people. It also showed the real need and the benefits of this kind of dogged local reporting, not just in Arizona, but across the country.
A multiple duPont honoree, Biscobing says the trust and access evidenced in his reporting is the result of “sheer persistence.” In this episode of the On Assignment Podcast, Biscobing talks to the J-School’s Prizes Department Executive Director Abi Wright and duPont Awards Director Lisa R. Cohen about how he used deep data dives, long-cultivated sourcing and old-fashioned shoe leather to get results.
Based on Biscobing’s investigation, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office fired the prosecutor who played a lead role in falsely charging police protestors. This is just one of many ways his reporting opened eyes and inspired action. Listen in to hear more.
You can watch “Full Disclosure” online, here, and “Politically Charged” online, here.