{"id":2368376,"date":"2024-11-13T09:38:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-judge-overseeing-trump-allies-fake-electors-case-steps-aside-after-bias-allegations-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-13T09:38:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T14:38:48","slug":"arizona-judge-overseeing-trump-allies-fake-electors-case-steps-aside-after-bias-allegations-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-judge-overseeing-trump-allies-fake-electors-case-steps-aside-after-bias-allegations-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona judge overseeing Trump allies fake electors case steps aside after bias allegations &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Farizona-judge-overseeing-trump-allies-fake-electors-case-steps-aside-after-bias-allegations-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2368376&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Maricopa County \u2064Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen has\u200d stepped\u200c down\u2063 from overseeing the case against pro-Trump fake electors due to allegations of bias. This decision\u2062 follows\u2064 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-has-put-his-boat-in-the-water-for-his-trip-to-cross-the-delaware-on-christmas-eve-attorney-lin-wood\/\" title=\"President Trump \u201cHas Put His Boat In the Water For His Trip to Cross the Delaware\u2026 On Christmas Eve\u201d \u2013 Attorney Lin Wood\">grand jury indictment<\/a> of 18 Trump allies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-georgia-democrats-have-until-sept-6-to-decide-on-biden-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"In Georgia, Democrats have until Sept. 6 to decide on Biden - Washington Examiner\">including high-profile figures<\/a> like Mark Meadows and \u200cRudy\u2063 Giuliani, related \u2063to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona. Defense attorneys raised concerns \u2064about Cohen&#8217;s alleged anti-Trump sentiments, citing his recent comments that seemed\u200d to reflect strong partisan opinions. \u200c <\/p>\n<p>Cohen \u2063had urged his colleagues to condemn racist and \u2064sexist remarks against Vice President \u2064Kamala Harris during the 2024\u2063 election, and he made allusions to historical events, including Nazism, to emphasize the need for political vigilance.\u2064 While Cohen\u200d defended his political views, he acknowledged that his remarks might create\u2064 an appearance of \u200dbias \u200dthat could\u2064 affect public perception \u200dof the court\u2019s impartiality. This\u200b situation illustrates the \u2064complex interplay between \u2063politics and the judicial process, especially in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-arrest-who-is-defending-the-former-president\/\" title=\"Donald Trump arrest: Who is defending the former president?\">high-stakes cases<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Arizona judge overseeing Trump allies fake electors case steps aside after bias allegations<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1880135\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen, the judge presiding over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Arizona<\/a>&rsquo;s case against pro-Trump fake electors, has removed himself from the job following allegations of bias.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In April, a grand jury indicted 18 Trump allies, including White House former chief of staff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-meadows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mark Meadows<\/a> and former Trump attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Rudy-Giuliani\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Rudy Giuliani<\/a>, on charges stemming from their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Arizona. Cohen&rsquo;s self-removal comes after defense lawyers questioned him of anti-Trump bias.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While Judge Cohen is entitled to his political opinions and speech, his rhetoric and exhortation precisely mirrors the evidence of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">hostile partisan political zealotry<\/a> at the heart of the motions to dismiss [the case] that have been languishing before the Court for months,&rdquo; attorneys <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25289870-file_8565\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">David Warrington and Michael Columbo<\/a> wrote on behalf of Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman, one of the defendants in the case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the emails <a href=\"https:\/\/arizonadailyindependent.com\/2024\/11\/07\/arizona-judge-in-2020-electors-case-demanded-judges-defend-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported by<\/a> the <em>Arizona Daily Independent<\/em>, he implored his white male colleagues to speak out against racist and sexist comments Vice President Kamala Harris faced during the 2024 election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We must speak out. We must tell those within our circles of influence that this s*** must stop. NOW! We cannot allow our female colleagues to feel as if they stand alone when there are those who may intimate that their ascension was anything other than based upon exceptionalism,&rdquo; Cohen wrote, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p>He also invoked a famous post-World War II-era essay discussing the failure to speak out against Nazism to describe the current political landscape as it pertains to President-elect Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have been reflecting on Martin Niemoller&rsquo;s brilliant post-WWII essay known as &lsquo;First they came for &hellip;&rsquo; While the subject matter of his commentary was one of the most horrific periods in world history, its instruction applies equally to present day events,&rdquo; Cohen wrote in emails. &ldquo;When we cannot or do not stand with others, the words of Martin Niemoller are no longer a historic reference to the atrocities of WWII, those words describe the present.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cohen defended his comments but did acknowledge they could create a perception of bias.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This court is also mindful of the appearances the subject email may have created for those who have interpreted the communication differently than intended,&rdquo; he wrote in the court document announcing his decision. &ldquo;Out of a commitment to justice, even the appearance of bias cannot be allowed to undermine the fundamental fairness that is extended by the court to all who come before it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cohen was appointed as a judge in Maricopa County, Arizona, by former Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2005. He has won several retention elections to remain in his seat in the nearly 20 years since.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cohen later apologized to his colleagues regarding the emails and said he shouldn&rsquo;t have aired his views in that way.<\/p>\n<p>The Arizona fake electors case is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3135078\/trial-date-january-2026-arizona-fake-electors-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">set to go to trial<\/a> in January 2026, five years after the alleged crimes occurred. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3226348\/arizona-attorney-general-no-intention-dropping-fake-electors-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">no intention<\/a> of dropping the case despite Trump&rsquo;s presidential victory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1880135\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1880135\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arizona judge steps down from Trump allies&#8217; electors case amid bias claims<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2368377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/bruce-cohen-maricopa-county-judge.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4472,44934,32493,5387,3634],"class_list":["post-2368376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-arizona","tag-bias-allegations","tag-fake-electors","tag-judge","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/bruce-cohen-maricopa-county-judge.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2368376"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2368380,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368376\/revisions\/2368380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2368377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2368376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2368376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2368376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}