My name is Anthony Ramirez, and I’m running as an Independent (NOL) for the Arizona State Senate.

I’m a civil rights attorney here in Arizona, and much of my career has been devoted to standing up for ordinary people when the system fails them.

I represent people who have been falsely arrested, wrongfully accused, or had their constitutional rights violated. I also represent individuals and families who have been treated unfairly by corporations and other powerful institutions.

This work is personal to me. I believe that when someone has been wronged, they deserve an advocate who is willing to stand beside them and fight for accountability.

One case I will never forget involved my client, Yessie Garcia. Yessie went to Scottsdale for dinner one evening. While she was inside, someone vandalized her car. She did what any of us would have done: she called the police to report what had happened. But when officers arrived, Yessie was arrested.

A pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle approximately a mile away, and the driver had fled the scene. Police believed Yessie was responsible. Despite what Yessie and witnesses were telling them, she was taken into custody.

Then video evidence emerged showing someone vandalizing Yessie’s vehicle. That evidence helped establish what Yessie had been telling police from the beginning. She was released and the charges against her were dropped. But that wasn’t the end of the story.

I represented Yessie in a civil rights lawsuit arising from her arrest and detention and sought accountability for what had happened to her.

You can watch news coverage of Yessie’s case here:

Cases like Yessie’s have shaped the way I look at public service. When someone comes to me asking for help, I don’t ask whether they are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Their political affiliation has nothing to do with whether they deserve to be heard or treated fairly.

I believe public service should operate on the same basic principle that has guided my work as an attorney: listen to people, examine the facts, hold institutions accountable, and focus on solving the problem in front of you.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me, my work, and why I decided to run.

Sincerely,

Anthony J. Ramirez

Independent (NOL) for Arizona State Senate