Arizona Judge Orders Grand Jury Review in 2020 Election Case Against Republicans

Court Rules Prosecutors Must Re-Present Case with Electoral Count Act, Delaying High-Profile Indictments

An Arizona judge has ordered prosecutors to return a case involving Republicans charged for their alleged roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election to a grand jury. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam J. Myers ruled that prosecutors failed to provide the grand jury with the text of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, a federal law central to the defense’s argument, which outlines the process for casting and counting presidential electoral votes.

The ruling, filed on Monday, requires Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to reconvene a grand jury and present the case again, this time including the Electoral Count Act. Mayes, who plans to appeal the decision, expressed strong disagreement with the court’s ruling, with her office stating they will file a special action to challenge it.

Last year, an Arizona grand jury indicted 18 individuals, including seven attorneys and aides linked to Donald Trump’s campaign and 11 Arizona Republicans, for their alleged efforts to reverse Joe Biden’s 2020 election win in the state. The charges centered on attempts to award Arizona’s electoral votes to Trump despite Biden’s popular vote victory.

The decision to send the case back to a grand jury, prompted by a motion from Tyler Bowyer’s attorney, marks a procedural setback for the prosecution. Re-presenting the case will require additional time and resources, potentially delaying the legal process.

This story originally reported by The Washington Post