(The Center Square) – A judge will not allow the dismissal of charges against two Cochise County supervisors who tried to delay the results of the 2022 midterm elections.

Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd were indicted by a grand jury in November 2023 on charges of conspiracy and interference with election officials for allegedly ignoring a deadline for the state elections board to turn over their counties' election results to then-Governor Katie Hobbs' Secretary of State's office, The Center Square reported at the time. The one charge each is a fifth-degree felony that could carry a prison sentence of at least six months if convicted.

Attorney General Chris Mays praised the judge's decision.

“Today, Maricopa County Judge Jeffrey Fish denied motions by Cochise County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd to either dismiss the charges against them or to remand the case back to a grand jury in the state's ongoing case against defendants who allegedly engaged in felony conspiracy and election interference following the 2022 election.”

“This is a serious case and the charges are meritorious. Today's court ruling confirms that. The defendants are innocent until proven guilty, but all defendants in our criminal justice system are innocent. My office is prepared to move forward with this case and pursue justice for the people of Arizona,” she continued.

The 2022 election has seen several contentious races across the state, particularly with the Governor's Office and Attorney General's Office flipping from Republican to Democrat, leading to lawsuits by Republican candidates such as Kali Lake and Abe Hamadeh. As for Cochise County, it leans Republican.

This is not the only case involving election-related activity, as the state has filed other charges. 18 people All have pleaded not guilty to charges of election fraud in favor of former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election, NBC News reported.