Arizona Judge Recuses Himself from Election Case

Attorney Keith Chambers has requested the recusal of Superior Court Judge Robert C. Naraja from the contempt of Legislature case against Shayne B. Villanueva, citing the judge's public endorsement of his nephew, Rep. Ralph Naraja Yumul, as a conflict of interest. Villanueva, who is charged with contempt after invoking his Fifth Amendment right before Yumul's committee, has a trial rescheduled for December 3, 2024. Meanwhile, in Arizona, Judge Bruce Cohen recused himself from a case involving allies of Donald Trump after it was revealed he had emailed colleagues urging them to defend Vice President Kamala Harris against attacks on her identity. This decision came amid ongoing legal challenges faced by several Republicans indicted for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Cohen's emails prompted accusations of political bias, leading to his withdrawal from the case. These developments highlight concerns regarding judicial impartiality in politically sensitive cases.