Abe Hamadeh, the unsuccessful candidate in an extremely close election for Arizona Attorney General, should finally learn the outcome of his January 4 Motion for a New Trial in his Election Contest lawsuit.The Arizona Constitution requires Superior Court judges to decide any matter within 60 days of it being submitted to him or her. That deadline pops up for Mohave County Judge Lee Jantzen on several outstanding matters over the next few days.Here are those Motions:a) Motion for New Trial (filed by Hamadeh 1/4). Reply filed 2/6.b) Motion for Attorneys Fees (filed by successful candidate Kris Mayes 1/3). Reply…
Continue Reading DECISION WEEK Begins For Judge In Languishing Abe Hamadeh Election Contest –Arizona Constitution

Arizona sued Cochise County three weeks ago for its “unqualified handover” of elections duties from the Board of Supervisors to Recorder David Stevens. Tomorrow, a judge from Nogales will hold an initial hearing in Bisbee, and discuss whether to transfer the case to Phoenix or Tucson.Attorney General Kris Mayes filed the Motion For Change Of Venue a few days ago, suggesting that they were correct in initially bringing the case in Cochise County, but now have a right to ask for it to be transferred to Maricopa County. Cochise County Superior Court then brought in Judge Thomas Fink, the…
Continue Reading UPDATE: Hearing Tomorrow In State's Suit Against Cochise County Re: Giving Elections Duties To Recorder Stevens; Bisbee, Nogales, Tucson, Phoenix?

In a pot-and-kettle situation, former Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem is (incorrectly) urging the court to deny any sanctions against him and/or his attorney because the Adrian Fontes’ Motion was filed two days late. Meanwhile, attorneys for the Secretary of State’s Office filed their request for $7,500 in sanctions in Finchem’s failed Election Contest.Unfortunately for Finchem, the basis for yesterday’s Objection (below) is that Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian asked for sanctions motion(s) to be filed “within 10 days”. Opposing counsel correctly – under court rules – read that to mean 10 court days, instead of…
Continue Reading BREAKING, IRONY: Finchem Asks Judge To Deny Fontes Sanctions Because Of Timeliness; Meanwhile, State Separately Asks For $7,500 Sanctions (READ Filings)

 In a detailed, 23-page Order, Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ORDERED the City of Phoenix to remove the “public nuisance” it has permitted on public property near downtown. The sprawling encampment has become known as “the Zone” and has received national attention recently.The lawsuit filed last summer by business owners in the area – including the sandwich shop recently featured in the New York Times – asked the Court to order Phoenix to “refrain from expanding, maintaining, and/or operating” the proliferation of tents and makeshift shelters. Phoenix tried to dismiss the case, which the judge refused in January.Today,…
Continue Reading BREAKING: Judge ORDERS Phoenix To Stop Allowing Encampment For The Unhoused In Downtown "Zone" (READ: Order)

The Arizona Supreme Court this morning REFUSED to “stay” the execution warrant against Aaron Gunches. The sister of his victim asked on Friday, saying it’s not clear whether the warrant EXPIRES if it is not carried out by the state on the date certain of April 6. The Supreme Court did not explain its reasoning in the two Orders. (It is possible that there was some discussion about considering the Motion to Stay the warrant, and asking for a response from the State: the file name is titled “Briefing Order”.)“AZ Law” includes articles, commentaries and updates about opinions from the Arizona Supreme …
Continue Reading BREAKING UPDATE: Arizona Supreme Court this morning REFUSED to "stay" the execution warrant against Aaron Gunches

Republican Attorney General Candidate Abe Hamadeh pounced on the Arizona Supreme Court’s Order in the Kari Lake appeal, and told the trial judge he should give him another chance at fighting Maricopa County’s signature verification process.Hamadeh lost to Kris Mayes by less than 300 votes, and he lost his Election Contest trial in December. However, rather than appeal, Hamadeh filed a Motion for a New Trial on January 3. Despite the expedited timeline for Election Contest cases, Mohave County Judge Lee Jantzen has not yet ruled on the Motion, and is coming up on the (advisory) deadline for judges…
Continue Reading BREAKING: Hamadeh Tries To Rejuvenate His Election Contest By Piggybacking On Lake's Supreme Court Order (READ Filing)

The Arizona Supreme Court sent one piece of Kari Lake’s Election Contest appeal back to Superior Court this evening. They refused to look at the rest of her appeal. Lake lost her effort to overturn the Arizona Governor’s race results after a 2-day trial, and the Court of Appeals affirmed that judge’s decision.The issue to be re-considered is whether Maricopa County followed signature verification policies in the 2022 election. Judge Peter Thompson had found that the doctrine of laches applied and refused to consider the issue.The Supreme Court Order states: “Contrary to the ruling of the trial court and the…
Continue Reading BREAKING: AZ Supreme Court Sends Kari Lake Case Back To Trial Court To Look At Whether Maricopa County Followed Signature Verification Policies In 2022; Denies Review Of Rest Of Appeal

Now-Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is asking the Court to hold defeated candidate Mark Finchem  responsible for more than $67,000 in sanctions for filing what the judge has determined to be a “bad faith” Election Contest.Judge Melissa Iyer Julian granted the Motion for Sanctions on March 1, and asked candidate Fontes and the Secretary of State’s Office to submit their attorneys’ fees incurred. The Secretary of State’s Office has until next Monday to file theirs.Finchem and McCauley have asked the Court to Reconsider its sanctions ruling, but that is not likely to succeed. They have also appealed Judge…
Continue Reading BREAKING: Successful Candidate Fontes Asks For $67,000 In Sanctions Against Defeated Candidate Finchem, Attorney For "Bad Faith" Election Contest (READ Application)

The Salt River Project (“SRP”) is appealing the Arizona Corporation Commission’s refusal to allow a major expansion of its generating station near Coolidge, which it previously said is necessary to avoid the possibility of summertime outages as soon as next summer.Superior Court Judge Randall Warner upheld the ACC’s decision, and SRP initially said it would appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court. However, after the ACC’s objection, the appeal is now landing with the intermediate level Court of Appeals.SRP is also opposing efforts by nearby residents from the historic Black community of Randolph to hold the utility responsible for attorneys’…
Continue Reading BREAKING: SRP APPEALS Latest Rejection Of Major Coolidge Plant Expansion, Fights Randolph Residents' Attorneys' Fees

Former Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem and his attorney, Dan McCauley, have asked the Superior Court judge who dismissed the Election Contest in December to reconsider her decision to award sanctions to the defendants. The Motion for Reconsideration comes days before those defendants are to submit evidence of the attorneys’ fees incurred in responding to the challenge.Finchem focuses on his disproven claims that tabulation machines used throughout the state in the 2022 election were not properly certified, and claims that more than 500,000 ballots must therefore be thrown out. Judge Melissa Iyer Julian has repeatedly found that the…
Continue Reading UPDATE: Finchem Asks Judge To Reconsider Election Contest Sanctions, Just Before Defendants Are To Submit Their Bills (READ Motion)

Two quick updates on Kari Lake’s Election Contest appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court tonight:1) Lake is asking the Court for permission to file a “short” Reply in order to correct “Respondents (sic) factual misrepresentations on the chain-of-custody issue”. Lake’s attorneys note that attorneys for the Secretary of State’s Office do not object to the filing of the unscheduled Reply, that Governor Katie Hobbs does object and that Maricopa County did not respond.Lake’s request is likely prompted by the Response filed earlier this week by the County, as that is the one which focused most specifically on what…
Continue Reading UPDATES: Lake Asks Court For "Short" Extra Filing To Correct Maricopa County's "Factual Misrepresentations" Re: Chain-of-Custody; Heath Re-Files His Schooling, Breaks Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Monday in an Arizona case that could throw a new monkey wrench into Colorado River water plans. Arizona v. Navajo Nation is the latest chapter in the long-running judicial drama over water rights for the once-mightier Colorado, and Arizona, other western states and the federal government are arguing against the Navajo Nation’s 20-year fight for rights.The Navajo Nation’s argument is that even though its initial treaties with the U.S. did not address water rights, a longstanding judicial doctrine (“Winters Doctrine”) granting implied rights to water applies. When water rights were being adjudicated…
Continue Reading NEW and FIRST: Did U.S. Screw Navajo Nation Out of Colorado River Water Rights? U.S. Supreme Court Hearing Arguments On Monday In "Arizona v Navajo Nation" (READ Briefs)

Eight Republican lawmakers are resisting turning over almost 200 texts and emails about their 2021 plans to take the “permanent” out of Arizona’s early voting list. Today, Plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of that law filed a Motion To Compel production of the communications.The lawmakers – Kelly Townsend, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Karen Fann, John Fillmore, David Gowan, Jake Hoffman, J.D. Mesnard, and Russell Bowers – are claiming legislative privilege. Plaintiffs argue to U.S. District Court Judge Dominic Lanza today that 39 of those involve non-legislators/staff and should not be protected, and that the importance of the right to early voting weighs in…
Continue Reading BREAKING: Judge Asked To Force 8 GOP Lawmakers To Turn Over 196 Texts/Emails About Eliminating Permanent Early Voting List (READ Motion)