n dismissal requests filed by defense attorneys have slowed progress in court. The first judge on the case recused himself in late 2024 after an email surfaced in which he told fellow judges to speak out against attacks on Harris' campaign for the presidency. The next judge ordered the case to be sent back to a grand jury. Of the 18 Arizona defendants, two were former Trump aides, five were lawyers working for Trump and 11 were Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona. Three defendants have resolved their cases, including one who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. The rest pleaded not guilty. Some said they signed the certificate in case Trump won court challenges and a new slate of electors was needed urgently before Congress' Jan. 6 deadline to tally votes. The case has factored into Arizona's attorney general race, where both Republican challengers to Mayes have publicly said they will dismiss the charges if they were elected to the post.