The top county prosecutor in metro Phoenix has announced she is resigning the elected post amid criticism of her performance.
Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel says her resignation is effective Friday.
Last month, the heads of five criminal divisions in her office called into question Adel’s ability to do her job, claiming she was rarely in the office, showed signs of being inebriated during phone calls and did not provide leadership.
She was widely criticized for the dismissal of 180 misdemeanor cases because charges weren't filed before the statute of limitation expired.
Adel initially responded by saying she wasn’t planning to resign and she vehemently disagreed with their characterization of her.
Gov. Doug Ducey released a statement this afternoon saying Adel made a “difficult, brave and personal decision” and that he respected her choice to resign.