Latest news with #MaricopaCountySuperiorCourt
USA Today
17-06-2025
- USA Today
New details in Emilie Kiser's son's death: Husband told police how boy fell into pool
Brady Kiser, the husband of social media influencer Emilie Kiser, told police he was watching their newborn when their 3-year-old son Trigg fell into the backyard pool and accidentally drowned, according to search warrant applications obtained by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. Trigg Kiser died on May 18 after being pulled from the family's pool in Chandler, Arizona, six days earlier, according to police and court documents. In the weeks since Trigg's death, the Kiser family has pushed to conceal records that would ordinarily be public; Emilie Kiser filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of such records on May 27. The search warrant applications, which were granted by Maricopa County Superior Court judges in May and include sworn police affidavits detailing an interview with Brady Kiser, offer new details about the moments leading up to Trigg falling into the pool. Brady Kiser told Chandler police he was home alone with the two boys at the time. Emilie Kiser was out with friends, her husband told police. New details in Trigg Kiser's drowning death Brady Kiser told police he lost sight of Trigg for three to five minutes before finding the boy floating in the pool, according to the applications. Trigg went to the backyard to play after he finished eating, Brady Kiser told police. The father said he saw Trigg playing near the pool, which the police records said was "not uncommon." Brady Kiser told police the pool usually had a protective cover on it, according to the records. Brady Kiser was "soon distracted" by his newborn son, the police records said. Once he saw that Trigg was in the pool, he jumped in to get the boy and called 911, according to the records. Investigators filed the search warrant applications on May 13 to obtain video surveillance from two outdoor cameras in the backyard so they could corroborate Brady Kiser's statement, the records said. Has Emilie Kiser spoken out about Trigg's death? Emilie Kiser, who has 4 million followers on TikTok, hasn't publicly spoken out since her son's death. Her last social media post was on May 12. Since Trigg's death, Emilie Kiser has turned off commenting on most of her Instagram and TikTok profiles, and Brady Kiser has made his Instagram account private. The family's only statement has come in the form of the May 27 lawsuit pushing to keep public records about the 3-year-old's tragic death private. In the filing, Kiser's attorneys said that she and her family "desperately want to grieve in private, but sadly, the public will not let them," adding that her son's death "has become a media frenzy." "Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore," the lawsuit says. "But every day is a battle." Emilie Kiser lawsuit: Why public records could be released despite request for privacy Emilie Kiser lawsuit: What has happened so far? Kiser is suing several public agencies to prohibit officials from releasing public documents related to Trigg's death, including the police report, 911 call and scene photos. According to the initial complaint, Kiser and her counsel have not seen the documents, but they presume they are "exceptionally raw and graphic." The release of such records would "intrude upon personal dignity or cause unnecessary harm" to Kiser and her family, the lawsuit says. Gallagher & Kennedy, the firm representing Kiser, has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment. The first hearing in Kiser's case was held on June 3. According to The Republic, Kiser's attorney Kevin O'Malley said during the hearing that some redacted documents are likely "appropriate" for public release. As a result of the hearing, the parties in the case agreed to an interim order prohibiting the dissemination of the public records in question, according to court filings obtained by USA TODAY. Kiser's attorneys also filed a notice to dismiss some agencies from the lawsuit, and the court sealed a declaration Kiser wrote about this case. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
New York Post
07-06-2025
- New York Post
‘Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow Daybell kicked out of court after arguing with judge during attempted murder trial
Convicted killer 'Doomsday mom' Lori Vallow Daybell clashed with an Arizona judge and was kicked out of the courtroom during a contentious attempted murder trial. Vallow Daybell, who is representing herself in the case, was removed from a Phoenix courtroom Friday afternoon by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Justin Beresky, the same day she cross-examined the man she is accused of plotting to kill. The 51-year-old mom is on trial for allegedly conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Advertisement 6 Lori Vallow Daybell stands in an Idaho court as the jury reads a guilty verdict on May 12, 2023. AP Boudreaux claimed he was shot at from a Jeep as he was driving home in Gilbert, AZ. on Oct. 2, 2019. Prosecutors allege Vallow Daybell and her now-deceased brother Alex Cox conspired to kill Boudreaux and that Cox fired the shot that was inches away from hitting the estranged relative's head. Advertisement She had argued for an additional hearing where she could 'introduce her good character,' despite prosecutors bringing up her four murder convictions. 'Do we get a hearing on what 404b (character evidence) can come in,' Vallow Daybell said, according to courtroom footage by East Idaho News. 'If I opened the door, do I get a hearing do we stop the trial and I get a hearing?' Beresky cut off Vallow Daybell's inquiries, saying there could be a brief hearing if she wanted. 'If you are going to introduce how you have great character and good character we will have a short hearing on what evidence they can bring in to rebut that character which could include that you have been convicted of four murders,' Beresky interjected. Advertisement 6 Vallow Daybell is serving three life sentences for her role in killing her two children and Tammy Daybell in killing her two children and Tammy Daybell. Idaho Department of Corrections During Friday's contentious exchange, Vallow Daybell accused the judge of yelling at her 'You do not need to talk to me like that, I'm being very courteous to you,' she added. The fed-up judge called for court security to remove the child killer from the room. Advertisement 'Take her out, take her out,' Beresky ordered. 'You have been nothing near courteous to me during the course of these proceedings.' 6 A courtroom sketch of Brandon Boudreaux testifying during Lori Vallow Daybell's murder trial in Boise, Idaho on April 10, 2023. AP Vallow Daybell was escorted out of the courtroom as the trial took a 15-minute recess. Beresky threatened to remove the defendant's right to self-representation because of her courtroom antics. 'Ms. Daybell, if you continue to ask lines of questions where I've sustained an objection, into areas where I've sustained an objection, if you continue to speak over me or the prosecutor … I may be forced to revoke your pro se status,' Beresky said, according to Vallow Daybell and invoked her pro se status before the trial started. Vallow Daybell was found guilty in 2023 for the murders of her two youngest children Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16 in 2019. Advertisement Their bodies were discovered on a property owned by Chad Daybell, Vallow Daybell's fifth husband. The couple were the leaders of a 'doomsday cult' and were also found guilty of killing Daybell's ex-wife Tammy Daybell, who died of asphyxiation in October 2019. The trial began with jury selection on May 30, and the second day of selection was halted because Vallow Daybell claimed to be sick. She appeared in court on June 2 in a wheelchair and claimed she still felt nauseous and was crying loudly, according to East Idaho News. Advertisement 6 Vallow Daybell was found guilty in 2023 for the murders of her two youngest children Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16 in 2019. Madison County Jail 6 Chad Daybell sits at the defense table after he was convicted of murder at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho on May 30, 2024. AP Beresky found that Vallow Daybell was not suffering from any documented medical condition and proceeded with the trial. Vallow Daybell cross-examined Boudreaux during the hearing, where she asked about her character and how they got along. Boudreaux contested that they had argued and didn't always have a good relationship, according to Advertisement Vallow Daybell is serving three life sentences for her role in killing her two children and Tammy Daybell in killing her two children and Tammy Daybell. Chad Daybell was sentenced to death. 6 Lori Vallow Daybell's fourth husband, Charles Vallow. Handout Advertisement In April, Vallow Daybell was convicted of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her brother Alex Cox. She will be sentenced in the Charles Vallow murder case after the Boudreaux trial ends.
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.
