(The Center Square) – A judge will not allow two Cochise County Supervisors who tried to stall the results of the 2022 midterm election to have their charges dismissed.
Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd were indicted by a grand jury in November 2023 on charges of conspiracy and interference with an election officer for allegedly ignoring the deadline to give the Secretary of State’s office, who was then led by now Gov. Katie Hobbs, the election results of their county for the state’s canvass, The Center Square reported at the time. The charges, which are one count of each, are class 5 felonies that could carry at least six months of prison time if they are convicted.
Attorney General Kris Mayes touted the decision from the judge.
“Today, Maricopa County Judge Geoffrey Fish denied motions by Cochise County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd to dismiss the charges against them or to send the matter back to the Grand Jury in the state’s ongoing case against the defendants for allegedly engaging in felony conspiracy and election interference after the 2022 election,”
“This is a serious case, and the charges have merit. Today’s ruling by the court supports that. While the defendants are innocent until proven guilty, as are all defendants in our criminal justice system, my office is prepared to move forward with this case and pursue justice for the people of Arizona,” she continued.
The 2022 election featured several contentious statewide elections that notably led the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office to flip from Republican to Democratic, resulting in lawsuits from Republican candidates such as Kari Lake and Abe Hamadeh. As for Cochise County, it leans Republican.
This is far from the only case involving election-related activities, as the state is also prosecuting 18 people in an alleged fraudulent elector case in support of former President Donald Trump following the 2020 election. NBC News reported that everyone has pleaded not guilty.