Last January 27, Maricopa County Judge Daniel Martin said that he would not extend the temporary restraining order against the 2020 Election Audit. There will be another attempt by the Democrats to justify stopping the audit.
Maricopa County Judge says the 2020 Election Audit goes on
This was the decision of Judge Martin based on the case that he presides over after Judge Christopher Coury resigned himself from the case, based on court technicalities earlier, reported The Epoch Times.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who challenges the evaluation, and the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona, a nonprofit that advocates journalists and counseled by Perkins Coie, were also granted motions to interfere by Martin.
After Judge Christopher Coury exempted himself due to a link to an attorney involved, Martin, a Democrat, was appointed judge in the vote audit case.
One of the conditions set by Coury is that the Democrats pay a $1 million bond on April 23 that would have stopped the audit temporarily. Martin mentioned that he wouldn't extend the restraining order if the Democrats paid the bond.
He was quoted to say, "I conclude this was a very productive and helpful hearing. I'm still contemplating whether or not the plaintiffs' requested relief is necessary. I'll do this between now and tomorrow morning."
Democrats lodged last-minute litigation last week, hours even before the 2020 Election Audit was due to start, to halt it. Contractors hired by the Arizona Senate, which ordered the election inspection, were reportedly not appropriately protecting ballots and equipment, according to Democrats. The Maricopa County Judge will listen to all arguments.
Democrats Attempting To Stop Vote Audit Find Way for Judge Coury to Recuse
Last April 23, an evaluation of more than 2 million votes and dozens of electronic tabulators started.
Arizona's Senate summoned the election records and devices in January, and a judge has ruled the subpoenas are legal and must be enforced the following month.
From the start, Democrats were ready to try everything to null the election audit. The Senate and defendant called it another ploy by the DEMS, who have no standing and substantive claims, that should be a decision in their favor.
One of the lawyers, Alexander Kolodin, counsel for Cyber Ninjas, one of the firms conducting the audit, said that even one day of stopping would impact the process he mentioned in court.
According to Martin, a Senate attorney, Kory Langhofer, the Senate intended to obey the law, but the case has raised the question of what the law requires.
The Arizona Senate states that the Democrats want to stop the audit, with no other reason than to keep the result from the public. Saying the injunction is just a way to stall for time.
According to Roopali Desai, an attorney for the Arizona Democratic Party said the Democrats are concerned about the lax security at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.
Maricopa County Judge Martin finally sided with the defendants on the 2020 Election Audit, but he will follow up on the Democrat's arguments at the next hearing, slated for April 28.
Arizona Senate Approves Major Audit of 2.1 Million Votes in the 2020 Presidential Election
