Aiexpress – Maricopa County Recorder, Stephen Richer, has requested the Arizona Supreme Court to lift the temporary stay on his defamation lawsuit against Kari Lake, a former gubernatorial candidate and current U.S. Senate candidate.
The court recently granted Lake a temporary halt in the case as it deliberates on whether to accept her appeal questioning Judge Jay Adleman’s ruling. This decision comes after last month’s ruling by Adleman to proceed with the lawsuit. In response, Richer and his legal team filed a rebuttal opposing Lake’s petition.
In their response, they argue that the petition should be denied and the administrative stay should be lifted.
According to the court, this particular case does not meet the criteria for special action relief. They also believe that it is not suitable for them to provide guidance on a recently revised state law that aims to discourage lawsuits aimed at silencing or intimidating critics.
Richer and his attorneys declined to comment on the recent filing, as stated by a spokesperson. Similarly, The Republic’s request for comment did not receive an immediate response from Lake’s attorney.
The court’s decision to pause temporarily suspends the process of discovery, which involves the exchange of information between attorneys regarding witnesses and evidence that may be presented to a jury during the trial. Lake’s legal team had requested to skip this step during a hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court in December.
The Arizona Court of Appeals had previously declined to review a special action petition from Lake. This appeal also questioned Adleman’s decision to move forward with the case.
Lake submitted her current appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court several days later.
Richer filed the initial lawsuit in June, accusing Lake and her affiliates of disseminating false information about him after the November 2022 election. It is alleged that Lake was aware, or should have been aware, that the statements made were untrue. Both Richer and Lake belong to the Republican party.
Lake accuses Richer, who is running for reelection, of attempting to muzzle her and other critics of election integrity. She has consistently denounced his defamation lawsuit against her.
The fate of Lake’s appeal now rests in the hands of the Arizona Supreme Court. This pivotal decision will determine whether the case will proceed or not.
If the case proceeds, there is a possibility that it will go to trial in Maricopa County Superior Court during a highly contested election year. This is significant because both Richer and Lake will be running for elected offices.
