Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd has entered into a plea deal to avoid a felony after she and another supervisor delayed certifying the 2022 election over fears of non-existent voter fraud in Maricopa County.
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that Judd entered into the agreement, pleading guilty to refusing to perform the duty of an election officer, a class 3 misdemeanor. She will be sentenced to unsupervised probation for 90 days and must pay a $500 fine.
By avoiding a felony conviction, Judd will be able to retain her right to vote — and her seat on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors.
“Any attempt to interfere with elections in Arizona will not be tolerated. My office will continue to pursue justice and ensure that anyone who undermines our electoral system is held accountable” Mayes said in a press release announcing the plea deal. “Today’s plea agreement and sentencing should serve as a strong reminder that I will not hesitate to use every tool available to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections.”
Judd and fellow Republican Supervisor Tom Crosby were both indicted last year in Maricopa County Superior Court on felony charges of conspiracy and interference with an election officer. GOP county supervisors across the state faced intense pressure to not certify the results of the 2022 election as unsubstantiated fraud claims were spread by elected officials and right-wing influencers.
Judd and Crosby both voted to delay certification of election results past the date state law requires elections be canvassed, citing false claims that the ballot tabulators in the county were not properly certified. The lone dissenting vote came from Democrat Ann English.
In November 2022, Judd told both the New York Times and the Daily Beast that the delay in certifying the election — past the statutory deadline — was a form of protest against Election Day problems that happened in Maricopa County.
The election was ultimately certified after a judge ordered the supervisors to perform their legal duty, but Cochise ended up being the only county to miss the Nov. 28 certification deadline, putting the majority Republican votes in the county at risk.
Mayes’ original indictment accused Judd and Crosby of knowingly planning to disobey the law, which was done in public meetings, and interfering with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ ability to complete the statewide canvas by the Dec. 5 deadline.
A judge in Pima County last year also ordered the two to pay $36,000 in legal fees for the secretary of state and the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, who sued the supervisors for failing to certify the election.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors has been a hot-bed of conspiratorial thinking as they also attempted to hand count ballots, once again citing unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and voting machine manipulation. Arizona uses all paper ballots and the only machines are used for disabled voters and counting ballots, neither of which are connected to the internet.
That effort was blocked by a Cochise County Superior Court that said a full hand count was unlawful and the ruling was confirmed by an Arizona appeals court.
Judd did not respond to a request for comment from the Arizona Mirror.
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