The Bird exposes Sheriff Joe's racist ties, delves into the Israel Correa madness, and reveals Napolitano as the real Judas

"Would you talk to the Klan?" asked this avian.

"I talk to the inmates; I talk to everybody. I'm the sheriff for everybody," he boasted.

That is, unless your skin's a tad too tan. Right, Joe?

CUCKOO CORREA?

This balmy bill-bearer's been through the looking glass and back with oddball gadfly Israel Correa. Bird-watchers will recall that this tweeter wrote about Correa being stopped by the sheriff's initial anti-illegal sweep at 32nd and Thomas ("No Holds Barred," January 31). Correa was pulled over for not having his headlights on and arrested for failure to show ID, though the MCSO's own report admitted Correa'd offered up a valid AZ driver's license.

The MCSO obtained Correa's Social Security number. But the MCSO still placed an ICE hold on Correa, without informing ICE. Vinnie Picard, ICE's PIO, didn't know a hold had been placed until informed by this egret. Picard later said the MCSO told him it was some internal notation, rather than an actual hold. The incident has never been explained fully.

On March 19, all three charges against Correa from that January stop (the alleged failure to present ID, lack of insurance, and not having his vehicle's registration) were dismissed by a justice court — evidence the collar was bogus from jump.

Correa wasn't celebrating, though. He'd been arrested by the MCSO on March 17, for allegedly threatening the arresting officer from the January stop, C.A. Rangel. In his report, Rangel wrote, "At one point, [Correa] spoke near my left ear and stated that he was going to find out where I live and I was going to get it."

Vague stuff, but enough to draw the misdemeanor charge, albeit two months late. Correa was also facing a Class 5 felony of aggravated harassment for allegedly violating a court mandate that he steer clear of Judge Carlos Mendoza's courtroom. Correa was released on a $500 bond, and ordered to wear an ankle bracelet, which monitored his curfew.

Mendoza and Correa have a legal blood feud spanning several years, and both men have had injunctions against harassment on each other, according to the Phoenix Police Department. Correa's suing Mendoza to recover $3,800 Correa says he paid Mendoza to represent him in a divorce proceeding. As part of the original complaint, Correa alleged the two men had some sort of sexual encounter, a weird thing to put in a $3,800 contract claim. Mendoza has denied all Correa's claims to The Bird, as well as the sexual allegation.

Correa's representing himself in the suit. Mendoza's being represented by — get this — disgraced former special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik. Wilenchik asked that Correa's orginal complaint be stricken because of the scandalous, immaterial, baseless, heinous, and bizarre statements therein. The court agreed, and Correa was forced to file an amended complaint that deleted the sexual allegation.

What is this, a freakin' episode of HBO's The Wire? And if so, who's wearing one?

Correa's also involved in one of the charges brought by the Arizona Commission on Judicial Misconduct against Mendoza. The thing's too tangled for The Bird to tackle fully, but basically, the commission alleges Mendoza had Correa thrown out of a downtown courtroom, that Mendoza challenged another judge to fisticuffs, and that Mendoza failed to report certain financial information. Mendoza's attorney, Rick Strohm, maintained his client's innocence to this perplexed penguin.

Then, some deep weirdness took place on the evening of Wednesday, March 19. According to Stacie Derge, the Phoenix PD's PIO, Correa reported a home invasion by two armed, masked men, looking for files on Judge Mendoza. At Correa's house, the po-po found him and gal pal Gabby Espinoza partially bound.

Police say Correa led them to believe Mendoza was behind it all. So Five-O raided Mendoza's home, slapped cuffs on da Judge, and did a sweep of the house before releasing him. Correa and his girlfriend later confessed it was a hoax. Correa was again arrested, charged with one count of filing a false police report and another felony count of aggravated harassment against Mendoza.

Remember those two charges on which Correa was arrested on March 17? Those were dropped. And before going to press, this peacock learned from the Phoenix Municipal Court that the charge against Correa for filing a false report also had been dropped. That last felony for aggravated harassment Correa caught after the March 19 incident? Scratched, according to Superior Court PIO J.W. Brown.

For the record, Correa maintains the home invasion happened, and that he and Espinoza were coerced by the bulls to confess. He speculated the matter may now be before a grand jury. He said he would not be surprised if he's charged with something else in the near future.

"I want this to go to court," Correa cooed to this cockatiel. "I don't even want a plea deal."

When The Bird related to Judge Mendoza that the false reporting charge against Correa had been dropped, he seemed shocked.

"Outrageous is an understatement," Mendoza sputtered. "My head's spinning right now. I don't know anything about a grand jury."

The Bird knows more than he has room to write. Suffice it to say, it could be a freakin' novel. Keep 'em peeled for an update in the near future.