What is an indictment? 18 fake electors and Trump allies face charges in Arizona case
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An Arizona grand jury has indicted 18 people, accusing them of a conspiratorial effort after the 2020 election to keep then-President Donald Trump in office despite challenger Joe Biden winning the popular vote in the state.
What is an indictment?
It's an accusation of wrongdoing brought by a grand jury after its investigation. Prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury for consideration. Sometimes, people with ties to a case are subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.
An indictment is followed up by a series of court appearances: an initial appearance and subsequent status hearings leading up to a plea agreement, in which a person admits guilt, or a trial. In court, those accused in a state criminal case have the right to an attorney, and the state must appoint one if a defendant cannot afford representation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court and convicted by a jury of their peers, as the Arizona Attorney General's Office said in a statement Wednesday.
All indictments are heard in a particular court. This case was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. The state has Superior Courts in every county, and cases are heard in the location where a crime is alleged to have occurred.
Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, unveiled the charges on Wednesday, saying the grand jury had issued the nine-count indictment against the 11 people who were Republican electors in Arizona in 2020 and attorneys and other allies of Trump.
It alleges the slate of Republicans, sometimes known as fake electors, and the Trump aides engaged in a conspiracy aimed at "preventing the lawful transfer of the presidency of the United States, keeping President Donald J. Trump in office against the will of Arizona voters, and depriving Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted."
Why now? AG Kris Mayes went hard after Arizona's fake electors. Why didn't former AG Mark Brnovich?
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is an indictment? Grand jury acts against Arizona fake electors
