Phoenix's longtime sheriff was officially charged with criminal contempt-of-court for ignoring a judge's order in a racial-profiling case.

The 84-year-old lawman left in a tough spot two weeks ahead Election Day as he seeks a seventh term.

Earlier, prosecutors promised that, they would charge Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but the misdemeanor count wasn't officially filed against him until US District Judge Susan Bolton signed it.

If convicted, Arpaio could face up to six months in jail. A misdemeanor conviction would not bar Arpaio from serving as sheriff.

Democratic challenger Paul Penzone said that, "It's another example of the sheriff putting his own personal objectives ahead of the best interest of the community at our expense."

Defense attorney Mel McDonald said that, “We plan on vigorously contesting each and every one of the allegations in the order to show cause.”

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton wrote, “Judge Snow concluded that Sheriff Arpaio did so based on the notoriety he received for, and the campaign donations he received because of, his immigration enforcement activity.”

“After exhausting ‘all of its other methods to obtain compliance,’ Judge Snow referred Sheriff Arpaio’s intentional and continuing non-compliance to another Judge to determine whether he should be held in criminal contempt,” Bolton concludes.

“I think for all intents and purposes it could be deemed a misdemeanor,” McDonald, Arpaio’s attorney, said. “I haven’t seen any place where the government has called it that, but the request for six months or less, typically that’s misdemeanor territory.”

Also Read: Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arpaio to face criminal charges over immigration patrols!

Nandini