A Michigan judge has thrown out felony charges against 15 Republican alternate electors from the 2020 election, delivering a major setback to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s high-profile prosecution.
The decision ends months of legal wrangling that could have sent the defendants—most of them senior citizens—to prison for decades.
Judge Kristin Simmins, appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), ruled that prosecutors failed to prove intent to defraud the government, a requirement under state law for the charges brought.
The electors were accused of submitting an alternate slate of electoral votes for President Donald Trump after the 2020 election results in Michigan were disputed.
Each faced eight felony counts, including forgery and conspiracy, with penalties as high as life in prison.
In court, Simmins stressed that the case hinged on “specific intent crimes” and said evidence did not demonstrate the electors acted with fraudulent purpose.
Instead, she noted that they appeared to believe they were following legitimate legal procedures.
She cited testimony from GOP elector James Renner, who was offered immunity but ultimately weakened the state’s argument. Renner, a former state trooper, testified he would not have joined the meeting had he believed it was unlawful.
The attorney general’s case had faced