His governorship gone, his ailing auto dealership sold, Evan Mecham faces a future in which one of the few certainties is his role as defendant in a criminal trial. But for Arizona, the future looks brighter without the shadow of Mecham's embarrassing impeachment trial hanging over the state, said Rose Mofford, who became governor with Mecham's removal. ``Today we have reached the end of some difficult times in Arizona,'' Mrs. Mofford, a Democrat, said Monday. ``I know the decision made by the Senate today was not reached lightly. It is time to put all that behind us and move forward.'' ``Today none of us are Republicans, none of us are Democrats,'' she said. ``We are all Arizonans. Let us go forward together as Arizonans.'' The impeached first-term Republican was stripped of his office Monday when the Senate convicted him of trying to thwart an investigation of an alleged death threat and misusing the governor's protocol fund. The end of the trial did not heal the divisions that arose during Mecham's turbulent 15 months in office. Predictably, the verdict was praised by Mecham opponents and condemned by supporters. Some legislators received police protection Monday night after getting threatening phone calls that were prompted by the vote, said Department of Public Safety spokesman Allan Schmidt. ``They've been all types of intimidating-type threatening statements ranging from voter response to the ultimate,'' Schmidt said. Mecham's future troubles could include a maximum 22-year prison sentence if he is convicted on charges of concealing a $350,000 campaign loan. He faces trial April 21 in Maricopa County Superior Court on six felony counts of fraud, perjury and filing false documents. His brother Willard, who was his 1986 campaign treasurer, faces three similar counts. The Senate threw out an impeachment count based on the $350,000 loan issue. Although the Senate did not bar Mecham from holding public office again, his lawyer, Jerris Leonard, indicated after the impeachment vote that Mecham may decide to bow out of politics. ``I think there is doubt,'' he said of whether Mecham would try to appeal his case to voters in a recall election May 17. It was not clear whether the ousted governor could remain on the recall ballot given him impeachment conviction. The matter probably will be decided by the courts, said Attorney General Bob Corbin. Leonard said, ``I think the decision of where we go from now is dependent on whether or not the governor himself wants to stay in politics and that's something that he's got to decide overnight.'' After Monday's conviction, Mecham left the Senate chamber smiling. Asked what he planned next, he said, ``We'll decide tomorrow or the next day ... We're keeping all our options open.'' After he was impeached by the House of Representatives on Feb. 5, the 63-year-old Mecham hinted he might give up politics. ``If I can be of service, fine,'' he said. ``If not, I'd enjoy private life. The best person doesn't always win. Politics is not my favorite pastime.'' Mecham ran for governor five times before being elected in 1986. Although Mecham's son, Dennis, testified last week that their Mecham Pontiac dealership in suburban Glendale was thriving, he announced a day later that they'd been forced to sell it for $4 million because of dwindling sales. Dennis Mecham said bad publicity surrounding his father's political battles had driven customers away. The dealership was sold last week.
