Phoenix (CNN) In his years as the top lawman in Arizona's largest county, Joe Arpaio touted the tough punishments he handed out. Now the former Maricopa County sheriff's fate is in a judge's hands. And if US District Judge Susan Bolton finds him guilty of criminal contempt, the man who once called himself "America's toughest sheriff" could end up behind bars. Arpaio is accused of violating a court order in a racial profiling case by continuing patrols that targeted immigrants. The 85-year-old has said the court order wasn't clear and he didn't intend to violate it. But in closing arguments Thursday, prosecutor John Keller alleged that Arpaio's defiance was deliberate -- and something he thought he could get away with.Closing arguments in the case against Joe Arpaio were held ThursdayHe's charged with criminal contempt for allegedly defying a court order
His legal troubles began in 2007, when a group of Latinos filed a class action civil lawsuit claiming that _'s policing policies amounted to racial discrimination.