u.s. justice department monday say criminal conviction ex-arizona sheriff joe arpaio dismiss moot wake controversial pardon president donald trump accord court file however several legal group include one staff lawyers work president barack obama administration urge arizona federal judge deem pardon unconstitutional overreach executive authority trump republican promise build wall along u.s. border mexico praise arpaio crackdown undocumented immigrants arizona maricopa county draw condemnation civil right group arpaio convict july willfully violate 2011 injunction bar officer stop detain latino motorists solely suspicion country illegally yet sentence trump issue pardon last month arpaio ask u.s. district judge susan bolton arizona vacate verdict order case justice department monday say request valid presidential pardon remove punitive consequences would otherwise flow arpaio non-final conviction therefore render case moot write court file protect democracy project advocacy group include obama administration lawyers file separate brief urge bolton first decide whether pardon constitutional dismiss case join coalition preserve protect defend legal group consist largely government attorneys legal advocacy organizations trump pardon remove ability court enforce order coalition argue result would executive branch free judicial scrutiny require assure compliance dictate bill right constitutional safeguard group write arpaio campaign trump 2016 investigate unfounded claim obama bear unite state falsehood trump also espouse years sheriff joe patriot sheriff joe love country sheriff joe protect border trump say last month stand pardon sheriff joe think people arizona really know best would agree me justice department ex-obama lawyers duel arpaio pardon