State Rep’s Wife Accuses Threats & Marijuana

A Pima County Superior Court Judge continued an order of protection Monday forbidding Arizona State Rep. Daniel Patterson, D, District 29 from contacting his wife Jeneiene Marie Schaffer.

Patterson, whose district encompasses portions of downtown and most of southeast Tucson, is running for a second term Nov. 2.

The couple began a bitter divorce in August after being married for 8 years.

 “Clearly I think you all need to not have contact,” said Judge Margaret Maxwell.

Schaffer claimed in court documents Patterson threatened her on August 3 in front of their 8-year-old daughter and that he has access to unregistered guns.

“ ‘ I hope you get hit by a bus,” Schaffer alleged Patterson told her. “‘ I wish you would just die already,”

Patterson responded to the claim in court Monday.

“I told her I hope she doesn’t get hit by a bus,” He said. “I’ve warned her about not wearing a (bike) helmet before.”

The elected official deferred to his attorney David Lipartito when asked if he ever struck his wife or daughter.

“We categorically deny any allegations or claims of violence,” Lipartito said.

The Judge admitted photos from Schaffer’s attorney of what she said was marijuana paraphernalia that Schaffer found in the legislator’s home office.

“His basic behavior would be he’d come home, smoke marijuana, watch TV, and be on the phone all at the same time,” Schaffer testified when asked about Patterson’s interactions with their daughter. “She’d be completely ignored.”

Patterson would not comment on the allegations of marijuana use.

“This is a court case,” he said outside the courtroom. “I won’t let this be tried in the media.” 

Schaffer wrote in her petition she requested a previous order of protection in 2007 but there were no documents of such in Pima County Superior Court records.

There were also no claims of physical abuse.

A query Monday afternoon of Tucson Police Department records from 2007 to present revealed no calls to the couples’ home address under domestic dispute codes.

Patterson has not been charged for any crime relating to domestic violence or drug use as of Monday.

In Arizona, orders of protection can be granted automatically upon request; defendants must come to court to contest them.

The orders are not mutually binding though Patterson can file a similar order against his wife.

Schaffer declined to comment further on what she testified was Patterson’s violent temper.

She did however request Patterson be allowed only supervised visitation with the child and that he first undergo drug testing, a process not unusual in emotional divorce cases involving child-custody.

Court mediators did not fulfill an Oct. 5 order by the judge to make visitation arrangements.

“My apologies to both parties,” Maxwell said. “This is completely un-acceptable.”

Orders regarding custody and family financial support were postponed until Nov. 15.

“I want to see my daughter,” Patterson told Tucson Weekly’s Hank Stephenson outside the courtroom when asked why he did not wait to contest the restraining order until after the election. “I’m disappointed.”

The wide-grinned elementary student is featured on the representative’s re-election campaign website holding a sign which reads, “Vote for mi papa.”

Schaffer told the judge she has been doing better in school since Patterson left the home un-expectedly in June.

Though he is not living at his registered address, Patterson refused to clarify where he is spending his nights.

“I live where I live, at the address that’s listed for me,” he said outside the courtroom.

The discrepancy could cause technical or legal issues for his campaign.

Patterson is also undergoing a random, non-related campaign audit confirmed Mike Becker of the Arizona Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission Monday.

Click to read Sept. 30 Tucson Weekly coverage