A judge ruled that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office lacks to the authority to pursue campaign finance allegations against Tom Horne and a top aide, giving the attorney general at least a temporary reprieve.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge expressed skepticism over the county attorney’s authority to pursue alleged campaign finance violations by Attorney General Tom Horne, putting the future of the case in question as the state’s top law enforcement officer and a key aide prepare to fight the charges in court.

Before the Office of Administrative Hearings begins proceedings in the campaign finance case against Tom Horne, a Maricopa County judge will first determine whether County Attorney Bill Montgomery’s office actually has the authority to prosecute the attorney general.

A provision in the 1998 ballot measure that created Arizona’s Clean Elections system may hold the key to whether the state’s new campaign contribution limits will go into effect for 2014.

Supporters of H2593 (campaign finance; contribution limit) are confident they will prevail in any potential lawsuit alleging that the increase in campaign contribution limits runs afoul of Prop 105 and the Clean Elections Act. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, a leading advocate of the bill, said he doesn’t buy the argument that ARS 16-941, the provision in the Clean Elections Act that cuts contributions by 20 percent, precludes the Legislature from raising the limits.

Before the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office can try to win its campaign finance fight against Tom Horne and Kathleen Winn, it’ll have to win the fight over whether it can prosecute the attorney general and his ally in the first place.

The top prosecutor in Arizona's most populous county is warning sellers of synthetic versions of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine that they could face prosecution under legislation recently signed into law.

A May 7 evidentiary hearing in Attorney General Tom Horne’s campaign finance case is back on after Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery officially rejected an administrative law judge’s recommendation that the case be dismissed.

The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to consider whether to accelerate consideration of an appeal of a judge's ruling that the state's medical marijuana law is constitutional.

A House bill that seeks to raise limits on campaign contributions could discourage candidates from using Arizona’s Clean Elections system, election officials warned.