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Nevada “Fake Elector” Case Returns to Clark County Court After Supreme Court Ruling
Nevada’s highest court has affirmed that Clark County is teh proper venue to prosecute six republicans accused of submitting false electoral certificates in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, reviving a case that had faced multiple legal challenges. The ruling, issued November 13, 2025, reverses a previous decision by the Eighth Circuit District Court and allows Nevada attorney General Aaron Ford to proceed with forgery charges against the defendants.
The case centers around allegations that Michael james McDonald, James Walter DeGraffenreid III, Jesse Reed Law, Durward James Hindle III, Shawn Michael Meehan, and Eileen A.Rice falsely declared Donald trump the winner of Nevada’s 2020 presidential election and submitted a document – titled “Certificate of the votes of the 2020 Electors from Nevada” – to both federal and state officials. Officials contend their actions were part of a coordinated effort across seven battleground states to keep President Trump in power despite his loss to President Biden.
The legal battle has been protracted. In june 2024, a Clark County District Court judge initially dismissed the criminal indictment, citing improper venue. Attorney General Ford immediatly appealed that decision to the Nevada Supreme Court. Following a period of reviewing numerous motions and briefs, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on August 6, 2025, in Carson City.
“Today the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed what we have maintained all along – that Clark county is the proper and lawful venue to prosecute our case,” stated Attorney General Ford following the ruling. “I am pleased with the court’s decision to overturn the District Court’s dismissal of our case in Clark County. The 2020 fake electors cannot evade accountability in Nevada for their unlawful actions. As attorney general, it is my duty to hold those who sought to undermine the results of our state’s free and fair election responsible. With this ruling, we will return to the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County and continue our work to ensure that justice is served.”
The six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges on October 27, 2025, during a formal arraignment in Carson City. Their trials are currently scheduled to begin in July 2025. If convicted, each defendant faces up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
The initial charges were filed in December 2024, stemming from a grand jury indictment in December 2023. The indictment alleged the defendants committed offenses including offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, both felonies under Nevada law. However, those initial filings were dismissed due to the venue dispute.
Defense attorneys have argued that the case was improperly brought in Las Vegas and should have been filed in Carson City or Reno, locations closer to where the alleged crimes occurred. They also maintained that their clients lacked criminal intent and that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence to a grand jury.
The case in Nevada is part of a broader national investigation into attempts to subvert the 2020 election results. Similar charges have been brought in Arizona, Georgia, and michigan. In Wisconsin, a lawsuit involving Republicans who falsely claimed to be electors was settled. In new mexico, the Democratic attorney general steadfast that prosecutions were not possible under current state law.
Donald Trump lost Nevada in 2020 by over 30,00
