phoenix — One of three remaining criminal cases stemming from efforts by supporters of President Donald Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election appears to have returned to an Arizona grand jury.
The case began in April 2024 when Arizona’s Democratic attorney general indicted 18 Republicans on fraud, fraud and conspiracy charges, accusing them of trying to undo former President Joe Biden’s 10,457-vote win in the state.
In a decision issued Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court denied Attorney General Chris Mayes’ request to avoid sending the case back to the grand jury. Mayes hoped to continue moving forward through the courts without having to start over at the grand jury level.
The appeal sent the case to the state’s highest court after defense attorneys successfully argued that the original grand jury had not been briefed on relevant parts of the law governing how presidential contests are certified.
The latest ruling represents another setback for Mayes, whose case has been pending for more than a year. The district attorney’s office said it would present the entire case again to a grand jury instead of concluding the trial. She declined to comment further on the decision.
This ruling came after similar cases in Michigan and Georgia They were dismissed by the courts and a private prosecutor decreased A federal case in late 2024 accused Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. All three cases ended after Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Cases related to the fraudulent voter scheme are still ongoing in Arizona. Nevada and wisconsin.
In Arizona, defense attorneys argued that the law allows multiple slates of electors to be submitted to Congress if the results are contested. Federal law was amended in 2022 to stipulate that a state can submit only one slate of electors and that state governors are responsible for signing.
Mark L. Williams, an attorney representing Giuliani, praised the state Supreme Court’s recent decision and questioned whether Mayes’ office would follow through on its promise to return the case to the grand jury. “In my opinion, the whole thing is worthless,” Williams said. “Mr. Giuliani did nothing wrong.”
The state’s attorney general faced significant challenges in presenting her case.
It was filed nearly three and a half years after the 2020 election, and brings complex conspiracy charges against the 18 defendants. Dozens of motions to dismiss filed by defense attorneys have slowed progress in court.
The first judge in the case He recused himself In late 2024 after an email surfaced in which he asked his fellow justices to speak out against attacks on Harris’ campaign for president. The judge next ordered the case returned to a grand jury.
Among the 18 defendants in Arizona were two former Trump aides, five lawyers working for Trump, and 11 Republicans who filed a document falsely claiming that Trump won Arizona.
Three defendants settled their cases, including the person who plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
The rest pleaded not guilty. Some said they signed the certificate in case Trump won court challenges and a new slate of electors was urgently needed before Congress’ Jan. 6 deadline for counting votes.