Cyber Ninjas are trying to turn the tables and disqualify the judge in one of the public records lawsuits against them and the Arizona State Senate. The Ninjas accuse Superior Court Judge John Hannah of showing “actual bias and prejudice” against the Arizona GOP and “conservative causes”.
Hannah is the assigned judge in the Arizona Republic’s attempt to obtain the results of the State Senate’s recount/audit. He is also the judge who sanctioned the Arizona GOP for one of the post-election lawsuits challenging the November election. (That sanction is currently on appeal, and is the subject of an accompanying article.)
Not coincidentally, the law firm sanctioned along with the AZGOP in the November case is the same one that is representing Cyber Ninjas in this new lawsuit. Never mind that the AZGOP is not (officially) a party to the ongoing audit, Jack Wilenchik broadened his accusation to allege bias against “conservative causes”.
Further, he continues his now-multi-case campaign against Judge Hannah, accusing him of making a “plainly bizarre ruling” in the previous case and claiming that he “is believed to be a Democrat”. More on that scorching March 15 ruling against Wilenchik and the AZGOP can be found here (along with the decision itself).
It should be noted that the Cyber Ninjas also claim they should be able to have the case reassigned as a matter of right, and that the Supreme Court’s Covid-19-related order halting such changes is ineffective. (It is an unusual order for counties which have plenty of Superior Court judges, as it was designed to aid smaller courts.)
A hearing was to have been held on the Republic’s OSC this morning, but was delayed one week due to technical issues.
In other public records requests, we are still awaiting a decision in the American Oversight lawsuit against Fann, and the U.S. House Oversight Committee today issued a request for production of documents to Cyber Ninjas. The latter includes a request for any communications they may have had with former President Trump or any of his associates/friends.
(To read the Ninjas’ Motion, head over to Arizona’s Law)
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Didn’t Wilenchik work for Andrew Thomas at the MCAO when Thomas went after judges who wouldn’t cater to the whims of him and Joe Arpaio?
Wilenchik has always been a hack with marginal legal talent and a penchant for personal attacks on his litigation opponents. None of this surprises me.