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Lawsuit: Maricopa County’s Election Chief is Unlawfully Refusing to Undertake Proper Voter List Maintenance

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Maricopa County’s election chief is illegally refusing to undertake required voter list maintenance procedures to ensure foreign nationals aren’t voting in Arizona elections, a lawsuit filed Monday alleges.

Brought on behalf of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and resident Yvonne Cahill, the legal challenge argues that GOP Recorder Stephen Richer is “ignor[ing]” his legally-required duties “to ensure that foreign citizens are removed from Maricopa County’s voter rolls.” Richer — a staunch opponent of election integrity efforts in Arizona — lost his reelection bid during Arizona’s primary elections last week.

“This lawsuit seeks to restore public trust in our State’s electoral system by holding Recorder Richer accountable for his failures and to ensure that the list maintenance required by the law and common sense — is performed,” the legal filing reads.

Plaintiffs are represented by America First Legal (AFL) and a law firm headed by former Arizona Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright.

The issue seemingly began last month when AFL sent letters to Arizona’s 15 county recorders demanding they fulfill their statutory obligation to verify the citizenship of the state’s Federal-Only voters. In Arizona, individuals who do not provide documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) when registering to vote are permitted to do so as “Federal-Only Voters” and cast ballots in federal elections. That allowance is due to a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Ariz., Inc. (Read more from “Lawsuit: Maricopa County’s Election Chief is Unlawfully Refusing to Undertake Proper Voter List Maintenance” HERE)

Judge Declares Mistrial in Case of Arizona Rancher Charged With Murder of Mexican National on Border Property

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A jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, who was accused of second-degree murder in connection to the death of a Mexican national found fatally shot on his borderland ranch in January 2023.

The jury began deliberating April 18. After days of being unable to reach a verdict, the judge overseeing the trial declared a mistrial on Monday.

The case centered around the death of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, who was found shot to death on Kelly’s 170-acre cattle ranch near Keno Springs outside Nogales, Arizona, on Jan. 30, 2023.

Kelly’s defense has countered the prosecution’s argument that Cuen-Buitimea was an unarmed migrant and has suggested cartel influence mired the death investigation.

“Long story short, this is simply not somebody who’s looking for the American dream. There’s no evidence that this person is here for those kinds of benign purposes,” Kelly’s defense attorney, Brenna Larkin, said during her closing argument on Thursday. “And we bring that up, not, you know, to be judgmental about Gabriel or to not have compassion for him. But when people are involved in a criminal lifestyle, it’s dangerous. It’s more inherently dangerous than simply being a migrant who’s coming here. So it’s relevant for that reason.” (Read more from “Judge Declares Mistrial in Case of Arizona Rancher Charged With Murder of Mexican National on Border Property” HERE)

GOP Senate Candidate Kari Lake Under Fire for Abortion Law Flip-Flop

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Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake is facing criticism from various quarters following her apparent reversal on Arizona’s strict Civil War-era abortion law. The controversy emerged during a visit to the University of Arizona, where Lake was pressed on her shifting stance by attendees, leading to a heated exchange.

Lake’s evolution on the abortion law has drawn scrutiny from both local and national observers. Initially expressing support for the law in 2022, she later changed her position after the state Supreme Court upheld the ban, advocating for its repeal instead. This abrupt change has left many questioning Lake’s consistency and commitment to her beliefs.

During the event hosted by the College Republicans, Lake defended her pro-life stance but acknowledged the political realities surrounding the law’s fate.

Lake’s attempt to justify her stance did little to quell the controversy, with attendees and critics alike questioning her sincerity and credibility.

The backlash against Lake has been intensified by her opponents, who are using her past statements to challenge her integrity. Democratic Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, for instance, highlighted Lake’s previous endorsement of the abortion ban on social media, accusing her of inconsistency and opportunism.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Arizona Upholds 1864 Law Restricting Nearly All Abortions

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In a landmark decision, the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled to uphold a longstanding law dating back to 1864, which severely limits abortions in the state, permitting them only in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. The ruling came as the culmination of the case Planned Parenthood of Arizona v. Mayes/Hazerigg, following arguments presented before the court in December.

The 1864 law not only prohibits nearly all abortions but also imposes harsh penalties, including prison sentences of two to five years for abortion providers. The court was tasked with determining whether the more recent 15-week abortion limit, enacted in March 2022, supersedes the older statute. While the justices refrained from ruling on the constitutionality of the 1864 law, they delivered a 4-2 decision, with one recusal, affirming its enforceability over the 15-week limit.

In the majority opinion authored by Justice John Lopez, the court clarified that its decision was rooted in statutory interpretation rather than moral or public policy considerations regarding abortion. The ruling emphasized that in the absence of any federal or state law explicitly prohibiting the operation of the 1864 law, it remains enforceable.

However, the court also exercised caution, staying the total enforcement of the law for 14 days to allow parties involved to determine their course of action. Furthermore, the case was remanded to trial court for potential consideration of remaining constitutional challenges.

The ruling comes at a time when pro-abortion activists in Arizona are pushing for a constitutional amendment to establish a right to abortion. The coalition Arizona for Abortion Access recently announced surpassing the required signatures for the proposed amendment to qualify for the November ballot, reflecting ongoing efforts in multiple states to secure abortion rights.

Photo credit: Flickr

Woman Pleads Guilty to Poisoning Military Husband’s Coffee With Bleach, Caught on Hidden Camera (VIDEO)

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Melody Felicano Johnson, aged 40, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to attempting to poison her estranged husband, a U.S. airman, by contaminating his coffee with bleach. The incident, which unfolded amidst ongoing divorce proceedings, came to light after the husband detected an unusual taste in his coffee.

According to reports from Law & Crime, the husband, upon noticing the peculiar taste, employed pool chemical testing strips on his coffee, revealing a high level of chlorine. Subsequently, he installed a hidden camera, which captured Johnson pouring bleach into the coffee maker.

The discovery occurred in the backdrop of the couple’s marital discord, stemming from when the airman was stationed in Germany in March 2023. The incriminating footage obtained from the hidden camera showed Johnson engaging in the act of poisoning on various occasions. Notably, one video dated July 16, 2023, distinctly captured her pouring bleach from a larger bottle into a smaller one before proceeding to the coffee maker. Another clip from July 5 depicted her engaging in the same activity while in a more vulnerable state, draped in just a towel.

Documentation revealed that Johnson’s husband refrained from reporting the incident while in Germany, opting instead to feign consumption of the tainted coffee to avoid confrontation.

With her guilty plea entered, Johnson now awaits sentencing scheduled for May 10.

Swing-State Law May Enable Non-Citizens to Vote in 2024 Presidential Election, Experts Warn

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One of the most important states in the 2024 presidential election has a loophole in its election procedures that could allow non-citizens to cast federal election ballots, experts told the Daily Caller.

Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes crafted the state’s Election Procedures Manual (EPM) to permit individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified to register as a “federal-only” voter and cast ballots in upcoming elections.

“An otherwise eligible registrant who does not submit DPOC (proof of citizenship) and whose U.S. citizenship cannot be verified via AZMVD records or other record in the statewide voter registration database is registered as a ‘federal-only’ voter. A ‘federal-only’ voter is eligible to vote solely in races for federal office in Arizona (including the Presidential Preference Election (PPE)),” the EPM says on page three of its first chapter.

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller he believes Arizona’s two-tiered voter registration system could enable illegal migrants to vote in the upcoming elections.

“I think it’s absolutely a possibility because if you aren’t requiring proof of citizenship, you’re simply going on people’s word that oh yeah I’m a U.S. citizen, you’re going to get aliens who register and who vote,” von Spakovsky told the Caller. (Read more from “Swing-State Law May Enable Non-Citizens to Vote in 2024 Presidential Election, Experts Warn” HERE)

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Woman Says ‘Raging’ Stranger Tried to Break Down Her Front Door: ‘Then I Shot. I Fired.’

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An Arizona woman says that she fired through her front door in order to protect herself and her 16-year-old son when a strange man tried to break it down.

The harrowing incident began over the weekend as Jenele Williams and her son tried to leave their apartment in order to go to the grocery store. Instead, they ran back inside. She said that she saw a man yelling and screaming at the apartment complex.

She says the man turned his attention to her apartment and started trying to break down her door after he saw her.

“I opened my door like a deer caught in headlights. We make eye contact and I was like, oh you’re right here,” she told KSAZ-TV. “To almost knock a door down like that, you have to be really raging.” . . .

“It was going to come down. I saw it bend in, like bend, not break or crack, just bend. That’s when I was announcing already, ‘Hey, I got a gun, I got a gun. Get away from my house.’ Then, I shot. I fired,” she said.

(Read more from “Woman Says ‘Raging’ Stranger Tried to Break Down Her Front Door: ‘Then I Shot. I Fired.'” HERE)

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Arizona Attorney General Promises to Prosecute County that Wants to Hand Count Ballots

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Mohave County supervisors [are voting this week] to hand count all ballots cast in next year’s elections.

. . . Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has long warned county officials across the state that they have no authority under state law to hand count ballots. Mayes, a Democrat, has pledged to restore trust in elections and prosecute individuals who threaten election officials.

She told Mohave County officials in a letter over the weekend that the “legal consequences would be serious” if they opted to hand count. She also expressed concern that supervisors had “received incorrect legal advice from bad-faith actors who are attempting to sow doubt in Arizona’s elections and ultimately undermine Arizona’s democratic process.”

Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told Mohave County supervisors in June that he also believes attempting a hand count would be illegal. . .

Two Cochise County supervisors are now being investigated by the Attorney General’s Office after attempting to hand count midterm results and delay certification last year.

(Read more from “Arizona Attorney General Promises to Prosecute County that Wants to Hand Count Ballots” HERE)

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Tragic: Christian Man Shot In The Head While Preaching At Street Corner In Arizona

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A 26-year-old Christian man is in critical condition after being shot in the head while preaching to passersby on a street corner in Glendale, Arizona.

Hans Schmidt was standing at the corner of a major intersection on Wednesday, telling people about a church service being held that evening, Fox 10 reported. At around 6:00 p.m., a person shot the street preacher before fleeing the scene. Schmidt, a military veteran and father of two young children — including a two-month-old baby — was rushed to hospital where he is now fighting for his life.

“My husband was shot in the head yesterday while street preaching on the corner of 51st Ave and Peoria If anyone has any info please contact 911,” Schmidt’s wife Zulya posted on Instagram. “Thank you for your prayers. Believing God has the final say. I love you so much babe.”

Victory Chapel, where Schmidt serves as the outreach director, posted an update about his situation on Thursday, saying that after he arrived at the ER, he “began seizing and was intubated.”

“There has been some movement; however, physician’s are uncertain how much is voluntary and began draining fluid from his brain. He remains in critical condition, please continue praying,” the church said. (Read more from “Tragic: Christian Man Shot In The Head While Preaching At Street Corner In Arizona” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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Teacher on Leave After Allegedly Saying ‘Hail Satan’ to Students While Waving Pitchfork Over Their Head (VIDEO)

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A public high school teacher in Mesa, Arizona, is on paid administrative leave after allegedly donning devil horns and saying “hail Satan” to students while waving a pitchfork over their heads as they entered the classroom. . .

Sophomore Nathaniel Hamlet told KPNX-TV he walked into his Mesa High School class last Wednesday and noticed his teacher wearing devil horns and carrying a pitchfork.

Hamlet alleged to the station that his teacher proceeded to wave the pitchfork over students’ heads as they entered the classroom and said “hail Satan” to them. . .

But it got personal for Hamlet — a Christian — particularly when he said his teacher kept up the routine with him even after he told the teacher to stop, the station noted.

“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me,’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away, maybe three or four times, and he still said it and still did it,” Hamlet recounted to KPNX.

(Read more from “Teacher on Leave After Allegedly Saying ‘Hail Satan’ to Students While Waving Pitchfork Over Their Head (VIDEO)” HERE)

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