By Steven Hsieh | Phoenix New Times
Three Democrats said they would stop charging marijuana possession cases if they won the 2020 election for Maricopa County Attorney, a powerful office that handles prosecutions for the largest court jurisdiction in Arizona.
Criminal defense attorneys Ryan Tait and Robert McWhirter, along with business lawyer Julie Gunnigle, are all running as reformers for the office currently held by Republican Bill Montgomery, a prosecutor known for his vocal opposition to the liberalization of American marijuana policies.
No Republicans candidates have yet declared their intention to run for the four-year county attorney position. That’s likely due in part to Montgomery’s pending application for a vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court, which Governor Doug Ducey is expected to fill this summer.
