By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
The Navajo Nation has dropped a legal claim that could have delayed formal certification of the general election results.
But the tribe still contends that early voting procedures used in three Arizona counties violate the rights of tribal residents. And attorney Patty Ferguson-Bohnee said Monday that unless there is a deal, they will be back in court.At a brief hearing Monday, Judge Dominic Lanza of U.S. District Court in Phoenix agreed to essentially put the legal dispute on the back burner, at least for now.
In a blistering statement from the bench, however, the judge scolded the attorneys for the tribe for waiting until Nov. 2 to file suit and demanding an immediate court hearing on their request for a temporary restraining order on a narrow issue that would have delayed announcing a final vote tally for all races statewide.