The Arizona women’s attorney and former mayor of San Luis, who pleaded guilty to voter abuse, is asking the judge for leniency in sentencing her.
Guillermina Fuentes, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of voter fraud on June 2 and admitted to collecting four early ballots during the 2020 election and giving them to Alma Juarez .
Juarez also pleaded guilty to voter abuse, but agreed with prosecutors in exchange for probation.
Prosecutors in the case are asking Yuma County Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson to sentence Fuentes to one year, but her lawyers argue that any time in prison was a miscarriage of justice. .
Ahead of Arizona and Nevada rallies, Trump’s Super PAC launches ads in states to connect Democrats with Biden
“She filed a guilty plea for ballot abuse, which means she provided four ballots that were legally voted and whose signatures were verified,” said Anne Chapman, Fuentes’ attorney. “The remaining allegations against Mr. Fuentes are untrue, unsubstantiated, untested and largely fabricated by election-denying political opponents who have the political axe.”
Fuentes is the former mayor of San Luis and a member of the school board.
Several people who testified in court on Thursday said Fuentes’ time in prison was meaningless and would harm the community.
Shelly Castillo, a defense mitigation expert, said she interviewed Fuentes communities and people in Fuentes, and she is very involved and volunteers regularly.
“She puts me to shame. I can tell you that,” Castillo said.
“Mr. Fuentes’ absence from the community would be detrimental to the community,” Castillo added.
Retired police officer Luis Marquez said, “In our community, I think a lot of us look up to her.
The county probation officer also testified before the judge and said Fuentes should not spend time in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson said both Fuentes and Juárez were seen examining four ballots in a video shot by a political opponent outside a vote center.
Arizona Senate Debate: Democrat Mark Kelly, Republican Blake Masters Clash Over Immigration, Abortion
Lawson told Nelson: “The question is why[Fuentes]feels the need to put pressure on people in the community and control the flow of votes to the ballot box.” rice field. “It’s a matter of public integrity here.”
Initially, Fuentes was charged with conspiracy and forgery after he was alleged to have been running an operation to collect and fill in ballots, using his political position with the local Democratic Party to do so.
According to the Associated Press, it was the first time in 2016 that he was indicted under a law prohibiting ballot collection in Arizona, and the lawsuit was challenged, taken to the Supreme Court, and upheld.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Those charges were dropped and Fuentes pleaded guilty to charges of voting abuse.
A Nelson court aide previously said he intended to “give 30 days in prison” to the lawyer.
Fuentes and Juarez will be sentenced next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.