Escapee John McCluskey being arrested, Aug. 19, 2010
Can’t Arizona do better?
Yes, it’s great news that the escaped convicts who have made national headlines are now back in custody. But even in the success story of their arrest, Arizona had to earn a drubbing in the media.
The photo accompanying the arrest shows a shirtless John McCluskey as he’s arrested near the Sunrise Ski Resort. The photo raises two questions.
Couldn’t the U.S. Marshal’s Service have tossed the guy a shirt before snapping the photo? I mean, no one wants to see that.
And second, was anyone really surprised to see that he had the banner “ARIZONA” tatted across his torso?
I’m not sure what the state’s tourism budget is, but I think that photo may have added a swirl to the sound of dollars going down a toilet bowl.
Adding to the carnival atmosphere is this line about McCluskey’s co-fugitive deep into the Arizona Republic story:
“Investigators say Welch, who is both McCluskey’s cousin and his fiancee, …”
Well, of COURSE they’re cousins. Just another day of bad news in the Grand Canyon State.
The news story is here.
AZ Attorney 
August 20, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I didn’t notice the Arizona tattoo, but did absolutely notice the cousin + fiance reference. I was reminded of A.R.S. § 25-101.
Marriage between…first cousins, is prohibited and void.
B. Notwithstanding subsection A, first cousins may marry if both are sixty-five years of age or older or if one or both first cousins are under sixty-five years of age, upon approval of any superior court judge in the state if proof has been presented to the judge that one of the cousins is unable to reproduce.
C. Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited.
September 13, 2010 at 11:24 am
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