Federal prosecutors have decided not to participate in settlement talks in regard to civil contempt-of-court proceedings against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his aides for violating court orders that barred racial profiling tactics.

Arpaio's attorney petitioned the feds to reach a settlement. However, because prosecutors have not agreed to settle, hearings are set to begin in late April to examine the violations of a December 2011 pretrial injunction that prohibited Arpaio's officers from detaining people based on the assumption that they were undocumented.

According to U.S. District Judge Murray Snow, Arpaio's top aides failed to tell rank-and-file members of his immigrant smuggling squad about the ruling. As a result, the officers continue to operate business as usual and violate the order for a year and a half.

"The hearings also will examine a botched effort by the agency to recover videos of traffic stops that were withheld in the profiling case," reports the AP.

Judge Snow has also stated that "a settlement would be acceptable only if it resolves both the civil and criminal contempt-of-court proceedings against the sheriff," according to the Associated Press. "A finding of civil contempt carries fines as a penalty, while a criminal contempt ruling could bring both jail time and fines," stated the AP.

Government prosecutors say it's premature for them to get involved at this point. They also said any deal that "settles both criminal and civil contempt cases raises ethical issues because the government can't be perceived as trading money for relief from prosecution," reports the AP.

Although Arpaio's defense lawyer acknowledged that the sheriff's office has made errors, they said there are no grounds to file a criminal contempt case, which could result in Arpaio paying fines and even getting jail time.

The racial profiling case stems from a May 2013 court ruling which found that sheriff's office had systematically singled out Latinos in the state during its patrol procedures.