Put Your AD here!

State's highest court legitimizes questions about election integrity

State's highest court legitimizes questions about election integrity


This article was originally published on WND - U.S.. You can read the original article HERE

The state Supreme Court in Arizona has legitimized questioning doubtful election results, throwing out a lower panel's ruling that the Arizona GOP should be sanctioned for its actions following the 2020 vote count.

A report in the Arizona Sun Times has confirmed the unanimous ruling tossed a decision to sanction the state party and its lawyers over their challenge to the integrity of that count.

"The AZGOP sued Maricopa County election officials over how they conducted the mandatory hand count audit after the 2020 election," the report explained, revealing the high court confirmed a "merit" of concerns about elections, even if they are a "long shot."

Censoring such concerns would, in fact, chill election operations, the court said.

Get the hottest, most important news stories on the Internet – delivered FREE to your inbox as soon as they break! Take just 30 seconds and sign up for WND's Email News Alerts!

"We are pleased with the Supreme Court of Arizona’s decision to reverse and vacate the attorney fees awards previously levied against us," explained the state party. "This ruling reaffirms the fundamental legal principle that raising questions about the interpretation and application of election laws is a legitimate use of the judicial system, not a groundless or bad faith action. We remain committed to ensuring that election laws are followed precisely, upholding the integrity of our electoral process."

Should questioning doubtful election results be outlawed?

0% (0 Votes)

100% (6 Votes)

The decision was written by Justice John R. Lopez and not only vacated the state Court of Appeals decision but reversed a ruling from Judge John Hannah.

"We hold that the attorney fees award was improper because Petitioners’ claim was not groundless, thus obviating any need to determine whether the claim was made in the absence of good faith," the ruling said.

The dispute was over the charge that Maricopa County officials refused to follow the recount provisions in the state's law.

Hannah had claimed the election integrity concerns were made in "bad faith" and he imposed a penalty of some $18,000 on the GOP.

But the court ruling found Hannah didn't bother considering the merits of the case, choosing to claim procedures required him to dismiss it. Then Hannah slammed the merits of the case anyway, the report said.

"[T]he trial court chided Petitioners for focusing on ‘what section 16-602 says about hand count audit procedures’ rather than addressing the ‘procedural defects’ leading to dismissal of the complaint and the Secretary’s attorney fees motion. Nonetheless, the trial court dismissively described Petitioners’ interpretation of § 16-602(B) as ‘barely colorable’ despite its avowed disinterest in the merits and lack of substantive analysis," the report said.

The court found, "‘[R]aising questions’ by petitioning our courts to clarify the meaning and application of our laws and noting the potential consequences of the failure to do so — particularly in the context of our elections — is never a threat to the rule of law, even if the claims are charitably characterized as ‘long shots.'"

The fight over election procedures and counts in Arizona was just one of a multitude across the United States following the 2020 vote, in which Democrats in positions of power in states often altered or even ignored state legal requirements to push absentee voting and vote harvesting in light of the COVID pandemic.

In Arizona, as in other states, the changes in election processes left voters with some unexpected, and highly anomalous, results.

For 25 years, WND has boldly brought you the news that really matters. If you appreciate our Christian journalists and their uniquely truthful reporting and analysis, please help us by becoming a WND Insider!

Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!

This article was originally published by WND - U.S.. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!

Read Original Article HERE



YubNub Promo
Header Banner

Comments

  Contact Us
  • Postal Service
    YubNub Digital Media
    361 Patricia Drive
    New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
  • E-mail
    admin@yubnub.digital
  Follow Us
  About

YubNub! It Means FREEDOM! The Freedom To Experience Your Daily News Intake Without All The Liberal Dribble And Leftist Lunacy!.


Our mission is to provide a healthy and uncensored news environment for conservative audiences that appreciate real, unfiltered news reporting. Our admin team has handpicked only the most reputable and reliable conservative sources that align with our core values.