Arizona

Judge orders armed group away from Arizona ballot drop boxes

Published

2 years ago

November 2, 2022

Judge orders armed group away from Arizona ballot drop boxes

PHOENIX (AP) – A federal choose on Tuesday ordered armed members of a bunch monitoring poll drop bins in Arizona to remain at the very least 250 toes away from the areas following complaints that folks carrying masks and carrying weapons have been intimidating voters.

U.S. District Courtroom Choose Michael Liburdi mentioned members of Clear Elections USA, its chief and anybody working with them are additionally barred from filming or following anybody inside 75 toes (23 meters) of a poll drop field or the doorway to a constructing that homes one. Additionally they can’t communicate to or yell at people inside that perimeter except spoken to first.

The momentary restraining order was requested by the League of Ladies Voters of Arizona after Clear Elections USA, inspired individuals to look at 24-hour poll bins in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county.

Incidents in Phoenix contain individuals holding watch on poll drop bins and taking video of voters. (CNN, KNXV, Twitter, KPHO, KPNX, AZ TV76, @RealMarkFinchem)

“It’s paramount that we stability the rights of the defendant to interact of their constitutionally protected First Modification exercise with the curiosity within the plaintiffs and in voters casting a vote freed from harassment and intimidation,” Liburdi mentioned.

A second set of defendants in rural Yavapai County — teams referred to as the Lions of Liberty and the Yavapai County Preparedness group, who’re related to the far-right anti-government group Oath Keepers — have been dismissed from the case on Monday after they pledged to face down their operations.

Native and federal regulation enforcement have been alarmed by experiences of individuals, some armed, watching 24-hour poll bins within the two counties as midterm elections close to. Some voters have complained alleging voter intimidation after individuals watching the bins took pictures and movies, and adopted voters.

Sheriff’s deputies have been offering safety across the two out of doors drop bins in Maricopa County after a pair of individuals carrying weapons and carrying bulletproof vests confirmed up at a field within the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. The county’s different 24-hour out of doors drop field is on the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Heart in downtown Phoenix, which is now surrounded by a series hyperlink fence.

Arizona Legal professional Common Mark Brnovich, a Republican, has known as on voters to instantly report any intimidation to police and file a grievance together with his workplace. Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs final week mentioned her workplace obtained six circumstances of potential voter intimidation to the state lawyer common and the U.S. Division of Justice, in addition to a threatening electronic mail despatched to the state elections director.

The U.S. lawyer’s workplace in Arizona has vowed to prosecute any violations of federal regulation however mentioned native police have been on the “entrance line in efforts to make sure that all certified voters are capable of train their proper to vote freed from intimidation or different election abuses.”

The momentary order issued by Liburdi on Tuesday will likely be in impact for 2 weeks and the cooperation from the monitoring group “shall not be construed as an admission they’ve engaged in any of those actions,” the choose added.

The 250 foot (76 meter) perimeter round drop bins additionally applies to group members carrying physique armor.

Different stipulations embrace the teams submit on their web sites and social media that it’s unfaithful that dropping off a number of ballots is against the law in all circumstances. Exceptions are allowed for members of the family, members of the identical family and caregivers.

Alexander Kolodin, the lead lawyer for the defendants, mentioned the League of Ladies Voters of Arizona finally did not fully shut down the displays’ mission. Nonetheless, the teams usually are not pleased concerning the limits, since he mentioned they may forestall them from discouraging poll field stuffing.

“They’re apprehensive they will’t file what occurs throughout the 75 toes. They could have missed a chance to discourage illegal conduct,” Kolodin mentioned. “At the moment’s order might make drop field voting rather less safe.”

An Related Press evaluate this summer season discovered no main fraud from the expanded use of poll drops bins within the 2020 election.

The League of Ladies Voters of Arizona inspired voters to maintain utilizing the drop bins.

“At the moment’s U.S. District Courtroom determination is a victory for the voters of Arizona who’ve the proper to solid their ballots free from intimidation, threats, or coercion,” Pinny Sheoran, the group’s president, mentioned in an announcement.

This lawsuit was folded into one other case earlier than Liburdi.

On Friday, the choose mentioned Arizona Alliance for Retired People did not make its argument towards Clear Elections USA. One other defendant, Voto Latino, was additionally faraway from the case.

“Defendants haven’t made any statements threatening to commit acts of illegal violence to a selected particular person or group of people,” the choose wrote.

Liburdi concluded that “whereas this case definitely presents critical questions, the Courtroom can’t craft an injunction with out violating the First Modification.” The choose is a Trump appointee and a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative authorized group.

The Division of Justice on Monday mentioned it will be part of the case, saying that the actions raised critical issues about voter intimidation.

Luke Cilano, a Lions of Liberty board member, mentioned the group had dropped its “Operation Drop Field” initiative final Wednesday “resulting from being lumped in with individuals who don’t adhere to the regulation and our guidelines of engagement.”

The Lions of Liberty usually are not related to Clear Elections USA, he mentioned. They’re linked to the Yavapai County Preparedness Staff. However he says the group was not concerned in poll field monitoring.

Comparable teams round america have embraced a movie that has been discredited known as “2000 Mules” that claims individuals have been paid to journey amongst drop bins and stuff them with fraudulent ballots through the 2020 presidential vote.

There’s no proof for the notion {that a} community of Democrat-associated poll “mules” has conspired to gather and ship ballots to drop bins, both within the 2020 presidential vote or within the upcoming midterm elections.

___

This story has been corrected to indicate that the order doesn’t apply to the Lions of Liberty and the Yavapai County Preparedness Staff, teams that have been dismissed as defendants Monday after agreeing to cease their actions at drop bins.

____

Comply with AP’s protection of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections

Try https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to study extra concerning the points and elements at play within the 2022 midterm elections.

Source link

Click to comment

Arizona

Safety Dalton Johnson withdraws from NCAA transfer portal, will return to Arizona in 2025

Published

2 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Safety Dalton Johnson withdraws from NCAA transfer portal, will return to Arizona in 2025

The NCAA transfer portal giveth and it taketh, but sometimes it just gives back what it took. For Arizona, that happened not once but twice on Thursday.

Safety Dalton Johnson is returning to the Wildcats for his redshirt senior season, withdrawing from the portal after going in last week. He joins fellow safety Genesis Smith, who did the same earlier Thursday.

Johnson, the only member of Arizona’s 2021 recruiting class–which signed in between Kevin Sumlin being fired and Jedd Fisch getting hired–led the Wildcats with 94 tackles this season. He started 11 games, missing one because of injury, and has 24 starts with 36 career appearances.

Arizona has had more than 30 players from the 2024 team enter the portal including the majority of the defensive starters, but getting back Johnson and Smith helps solidify a back line that has added three players from the portal and will have Duane Akina back as position coach following a season as defensive coordinator.

The return of Johnson and Smith continues the recent good news for Arizona, which on Wednesday night saw quarterback Noah Fifita announce he was coming back for 2025. Fifita has started the last 21 games.

Source link

Arizona

Arizona softball’s 2025 nonconference schedule has a Pac-12 flavor

Published

10 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Press Room

Arizona softball’s 2025 nonconference schedule has a Pac-12 flavor

Looking for a tough nonconference schedule? Have some Pac-12 nostalgia? Arizona softball has it covered.

The Wildcats released their full schedule on Thursday morning, adding the nonconference slate to the previously released Big 12 schedule. It has something to please everyone.

Arizona will keep rivalries with former Pac-12 opponents Washington, Stanford, and UCLA. They will bring Alabama and Texas to Tucson and play home and away against Cal State Fullerton. In total, the Wildcats will play 12 teams that made the NCAA tournament last season and appear in 32 games at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Things kick off with the Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium from Feb. 6-9, 2025. First on the slate is a doubleheader against Michigan State on Thursday, Feb. 6. The Spartans finished 21-30 overall last year and went 7-16 in the Big Ten but had a five-game winning streak to end the season.

That game heads straight into the land of the Pac-12 with the first of two games against the Washington Huskies on Friday, Feb. 7. It’s the first game of a Friday night doubleheader with the second game against Western Michigan. The Wildcats will play UW a second time on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The Huskies went 32-10 overall last season. They were 13-10 in their final Pac-12 season. They beat Arizona 2-1 in their series in Tucson. Their season ended in the Columbia Regional with a loss to Missouri. They went 1-2 in the postseason.

Saturday, Feb. 8 will feature Alabama. The Crimson Tide were 39-20 last year. They went 10-14 in the SEC. They advanced to the Women’s College World Series, going 1-2 and bowing out to Florida. They defeated Arizona twice during the regular season in Tuscaloosa.

Arizona hosts the Bear Down Fiesta the weekend of Feb. 13-16. The Wildcats will play South Alabama on Thursday, Feb. 13 and again on Friday, Feb. 14. They face Fullerton on Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 16. Ohio is on the slate on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Arizona played South Alabama in Tuscaloosa last year. The game ended in a 1-1 tie after 11 innings due to the “drop dead time.” The Jaguars ended their year 34-20-1 overall and 16-8 in the Sun Belt Conference. They went 2-2 at the Gainesville Regional, losing twice to host team Florida.

Fullerton was 39-19 overall in 2024. The Titans ended Big West play 22-5. They went 3-2 at the Stanford Regional, beating the host Cardinal and ranked Mississippi State once each.

The Ohio Bobcats were 31-24 last season. They finished 18-8 in the MAC. Their season ended with a loss to Ball State in the MAC Tournament.

The Wildcats stay home for the third week in a row to host the Hillenbrand Invitational from Feb. 20-23. The featured teams this weekend are Stanford and Texas, with the Cardinal playing UA twice.

Things start on Thursday, Feb. 20 with the Cardinal. The two teams will face off again on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Stanford will be a different team this season without NiJaree Canaday, whom Arizona will face in Big 12 play against Texas Tech. However, the Cardinal have advanced to the WCWS the last two seasons. They went 57-17 in 2024, finishing 17-7 in their last Pac-12 season.

The Cardinal went 2-1 against Arizona in Tucson last season. They went 2-2 in Oklahoma City, losing 1-0 to national runner-up Texas in their final game.

In between the two games against Stanford, the Wildcats will play UC Davis twice, once on Feb. 20 and once on Feb. 21. The game against the Aggies on Friday will be followed by a game against Colorado State. Saturday, Feb. 22 will feature Texas.

The Aggies were 21-29 overall and 12-15 in the Big West. The Rams went 26-21 overall and 9-12 in the Mountain West.

Texas was ranked No. 1 for a good chunk of 2024. The Longhorns went 55-10 overall and 23-4 in their final Big 12 season. They went 3-2 in Oklahoma City, losing the championship series to Oklahoma in two straight games.

The Wildcats play their first road game in a one-off at Loyola Marymount on Wednesday, Feb. 26. LMU was 28-25 last season. The Lions finished 9-7 in the WCC.

The trip to Southern California continues on the return games at Cal State Fullerton from Feb. 28-Mar. 2. The Wildcats face the Wildcats of Weber State first on Friday, Feb. 28. They play the host Titans immediately following in a doubleheader.

Weber State finished 22-28 overall and 8-7 in the Big Sky in 2024.

Saturday, Mar. 1 features another doubleheader. First up is Notre Dame. Longtime rival UCLA follows.

The Bruins were 43-12 last year. Their last year in the Pac-12 ended with a 17-4 record. They won the series against Arizona 2-1 in Los Angeles. They then defeated Arizona by the score of 6-5 in the Pac-12 Tournament. They went 1-2 in Oklahoma City, losing back-to-back against Oklahoma and Stanford.

Things wrap up on Mar. 2 against San Diego State. The Aztecs finished 31-20 overall and 15-7 in the MWC last season. They went 0-2 in the Los Angeles Regional, losing to Virginia Tech and GCU.

Arizona returns home to start Big 12 play against UCF on Friday, Mar. 7, but they will play another one-off nonconference game against Utah State on Monday, Mar. 10. The Aggies were 22-28 last year and 5-17 in the MWC.

A Big 12 home series against Utah will be followed by a road game at GCU on Wednesday, Mar. 19. The Lopes had a 50-13 finish overall last season. They were 23-3 in the WAC. They lost 3-2 at Arizona on Apr. 30, 2024.

GCU went 2-2 at the Los Angeles Regional, a run that included defeating 17th-ranked Virginia Tech to advance to the regional final.

The next five weekends find the Wildcats facing Big 12 foes Arizona State, BYU, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Texas Tech before another nonconference doubleheader.

The New Mexico State Aggies come to Tucson for a doubleheader on Tuesday, Apr. 22. The Aggies were 30-25 last year. They went 13-11 in Conference USA. Arizona defeated them twice in Las Cruces.

The Wildcats return to Southern California for two more games against San Diego State to complete their Big 12 bye week. The games will be held on Friday, Apr. 25 and Saturday, Apr. 26.

Arizona finishes the Big 12 regular season at Houston from May 2-4 before heading to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament May 7-10.

Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics

Source link

Arizona

Noah Fifita Makes Decision To Return to Arizona for Next Season

Published

18 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Press Room

Noah Fifita Makes Decision To Return to Arizona for Next Season

It was an unfortunate season for the Arizona Wildcats, and things don’t exactly look promising moving forward with multiple players leaving for the NFL draft and the transfer portal.

However, keeping their star quarterback, Noah Fifita, was perhaps more important than anything else.

The 21-year-old announced on Wednesday that he plans to stay at Arizona and won’t enter the transfer portal, despite some speculation around the college football world.

“The love and support for me has been nothing short of spectacular,” Fifita said, according to Justin Spears of Tuscon.com. “I’m so appreciative of Tucson and the University of Arizona. Even when things weren’t going well, I still get a lot of love and support — and I appreciate it. We know Tucson is used to winning and wants a winning football program. We’re going to work our asses off to give them that. We’re so grateful for Tucson. Tucson and the community is one of the reasons why we didn’t want to leave here.”

Fifita’s return is massive for an Arizona team that wants to return to its standards. After what he showed early in his career, he had a down season, throwing for 2,958 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Many of the struggles from players on the roster certainly had to do with the lack of stability surrounding the program, but after making impressive hires and another year under Brent Brennan’s belt, things should hopefully improve.

Fifita will be tasked with fixing everything that went wrong. It won’t be an easy task for the Huntington Beach, California native, but he’s shown toughness throughout his time at Arizona and should help the program get to where it needs to be.

Source link