Latest news with #MaricopaCountySuperiorCourt
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kris Mayes wanted to save democracy from Arizona's fake electors. Now what?
The public has broadly moved on from then-President Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump in 2020, but there is a major exception to that in Arizona. Kari Lake, a member of Trump's current administration, still spends time denouncing the results, but the state's Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is more focused on the Republicans who tried to help sidestep Arizona's certified election results. These "fake electors," including people like former Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward and former Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, are at the center of a felony case pending by Mayes, and going through with the lawsuit was a vital point in her election campaign. But now, those Republicans have been handed a victory. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge recently ordered Mayes to take her evidence back to the grand jury to inform them of a key legal argument made by the electors. This ruling may — or may not — undercut Mayes' case enough to reconsider a matter she has framed as protecting democracy itself. This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by former Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard, and later, Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger. Goddard breaks down how rare it is for a case to go back to the grand jury for matters of defense, rather than elements of the alleged crimes, and other insights into the law. Stacey then joins The Gaggle to discuss this specific case and what it means for Mayes' political future. The best way to listen is to subscribe to The Gaggle on your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below. Note: The Gaggle is intended to be heard. But we also offer an AI transcript of the episode script. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio. Follow The Gaggle and all azcentral podcasts on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. Listen to The Gaggle : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher You can share your thoughts with us at 602-444-0804 or via email here. Reach the producer Amanda Luberto at aluberto@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @amandaluberto and on Bluesky @amandaluberto. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kris Mayes' future after fake electors case update
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
$1 million bond set for man accused of fatally shooting landscaper in Gilbert
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled on May 23 that the man accused in the fatal shooting of a landscaper in Gilbert may be released from jail if he posts a $1 million bond and wears an electronic monitoring device. Wyatt Ford, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the May 19 shooting of Manuel Vega Lopez, 51. Lopez had been hired by Ford's landlord to trim a tree at the Gilbert residence. Although Ford and his wife were aware that a landscaper was scheduled to work in the yard, Ford mistakenly believed Lopez was responsible for previous damage to a trailer the couple had parked at the property, according to police reports. Ford, who turns 29 on May 25, confronted Lopez, and the situation escalated into the fatal shooting, according to police reports. Police said Ford fired a 9mm Glock four times at Lopez, striking him in the throat. Ford was heard saying he didn't mean to shoot Lopez, according to police reports. More about the case: Gilbert man killed landscaper he had accused of vandalism, police say In addition to the bond amount, Commissioner Elizabeth Campbell said Ford would have to abide by curfew hours set by the court's Pretrial Services Agency. Those hours had not been set in the release order Campbell issued May 23. Ford's preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. May 29 at the court's south tower in downtown Phoenix. In the wake of Lopez's death, his family has launched a GoFundMe campaign, as he was the sole provider for his household. His wife is living with diabetes and deteriorating vision, and their youngest son is facing health challenges following recent chemotherapy treatments. Mourned: Landscaper's family remembers dad killed in Gilbert shooting as provider for ill wife, son This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: $1M bond set for man accused of fatally shooting landscaper in Gilbert
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona judge sends 2020 Republican electors' case back to grand jury
An Arizona judge on Monday ordered state prosecutors to return their 2020 election subversion case against Republican allies of President Trump to a grand jury, a significant setback for the high-profile case. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam J. Myers agreed with the Republicans who had argued that the Electoral Count Act, a law explaining how to tally presidential electoral votes that is at the heart of their defense, should have been provided to grand jurors. 'A prosecutor has a duty to instruct the grand jury on all the law applicable to the facts ofthe case,' Myers wrote in a terse order. Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D), said in a statement that the state 'vehemently' disagrees with the court's order and plans to appeal. Though remanding the case to a grand jury is not the same as an altogether dismissal, the decision marks a blow to the state's efforts to prosecute Trump's allies for their efforts to keep him in power after he lost the 2020 election. Mayes's office charged ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, campaign advisor Boris Epshteyn and more than a dozen other defendants. Several of those defendants are the so-called fake electors, who signed a document falsely claiming Trump won the state's 2020 presidential race. After the 2024 election, Mayes said she had 'no intention' of dropping the case and would not be 'intimidated' by Trump's return to the White House. The ruling means Mayes must present the case to a new grand jury along with the Electoral Count Act's text, unless her appeal is successful. The bid to send the case back to a grand jury was mounted by Stephen Binhak, a lawyer for Turning Point Action executive Tyler Bowyer. He said in a statement that they are 'extremely pleased' with the court's ruling. 'We think the judge got it exactly right,' Binhak said. Prosecutors in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada have also filed criminal charges related to the alternate electors scheme. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona prosecutors ordered to send fake elector case back to grand jury
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona prosecutors pressing the case against Republicans who are accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results in President Donald Trump's favor were dealt a setback when a judge ordered the case be sent back to a grand jury. Arizona's fake elector case remains alive after Friday's ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam Myers, but it's being sent back to the grand jurors to determine whether there's probable cause that the defendants committed the crimes. The decision, first reported by the Washington Post, centered on the Electoral Count Act, a law that governs the certification of a presidential contest and was part of the defendants' claims they were acting lawfully. While the law was discussed when the case was presented to the grand jury and the panel asked a witness about the law's requirements, prosecutors didn't show the statute's language to the grand jury, Myers wrote. The judge said a prosecutor has a duty to tell grand jurors all the applicable law and concluded the defendants were denied 'a substantial procedural right as guaranteed by Arizona law.' Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat whose office is pressing the case in court, said in a statement that prosecutors will appeal the decision. 'We vehemently disagree with the court,' Taylor said. Mel McDonald, a former county judge in metro Phoenix and former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, said courts send cases back to grand juries when prosecutors present misleading or incomplete evidence or didn't properly instruct panel members on the law. 'They get granted at times. It's not often,' said McDonald, who isn't involved in the case. In all, 18 Republicans were charged with forgery, fraud and conspiracy. The defendants consist of 11 Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona, two former Trump aides and five lawyers connected to the former president, including Rudy Giuliani. Two defendants have already resolved their cases, while the others have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump wasn't charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator. Most of the defendants in the case also are trying to get a court to dismiss their charges under an Arizona law that bars using baseless legal actions in a bid to silence critics. They argued Mayes tried to use the charges to silence them for their constitutionally protected speech about the 2020 election and actions taken in response to the race's outcome. Prosecutors said the defendants didn't have evidence to back up their retaliation claim and that they crossed the line from protected speech to fraud. Eleven people who had been nominated to be Arizona's Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were 'duly elected and qualified' electors and claimed Trump had carried the state in the 2020 election. President Joe Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document later was sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored. Prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme.
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Arizona prosecutors ordered to send fake elector case back to grand jury
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona prosecutors pressing the case against Republicans who are accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results in President Donald Trump's favor were dealt a setback when a judge ordered the case be sent back to a grand jury. Arizona's fake elector case remains alive after Friday's ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam Myers, but it's being sent back to the grand jurors to determine whether there's probable cause that the defendants committed the crimes. The decision, first reported by the Washington Post , centered on the Electoral Count Act, a law that governs the certification of a presidential contest and was part of the defendants' claims they were acting lawfully. While the law was discussed when the case was presented to the grand jury and the panel asked a witness about the law's requirements, prosecutors didn't show the statute's language to the grand jury, Myers wrote. The judge said a prosecutor has a duty to tell grand jurors all the applicable law and concluded the defendants were denied 'a substantial procedural right as guaranteed by Arizona law.' Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat whose office is pressing the case in court, said in a statement that prosecutors will appeal the decision. 'We vehemently disagree with the court,' Taylor said. Mel McDonald, a former county judge in metro Phoenix and former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, said courts send cases back to grand juries when prosecutors present misleading or incomplete evidence or didn't properly instruct panel members on the law. 'They get granted at times. It's not often,' said McDonald, who isn't involved in the case. In all, 18 Republicans were charged with forgery, fraud and conspiracy. The defendants consist of 11 Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona, two former Trump aides and five lawyers connected to the former president, including Rudy Giuliani . Two defendants have already resolved their cases, while the others have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump wasn't charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator. Most of the defendants in the case also are trying to get a court to dismiss their charges under an Arizona law that bars using baseless legal actions in a bid to silence critics. They argued Mayes tried to use the charges to silence them for their constitutionally protected speech about the 2020 election and actions taken in response to the race's outcome. Prosecutors said the defendants didn't have evidence to back up their retaliation claim and that they crossed the line from protected speech to fraud. Eleven people who had been nominated to be Arizona's Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were 'duly elected and qualified' electors and claimed Trump had carried the state in the 2020 election. President Joe Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document later was sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored. Prosecutors in Michigan , Nevada , Georgia and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme.
