In a significant setback for Republicans, Clark County, Nevada District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus has dismissed the "fake electors" case pertaining to the 2020 presidential election. The indictment, which accused six Republicans of illegally submitting certificates to Congress certifying former President Donald Trump as the winner, was thrown out by Holthus on the grounds of the wrong venue.

Judge Holthus argued that the office of Nevada's Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, had chosen the incorrect location for the case. She contended that the majority of the alleged fraudulent activity took place in Carson City or Reno, northern Nevada cities in a more Republican-leaning region. Clark County, where Holthus presides and dismissed the case, is Nevada's largest and includes Las Vegas, a heavily Democratic-leaning city.

The defense attorneys for the defendants, including state GOP chairman Michael McDonald and Clark County Republican Party chairman Jesse Law, also claimed that the case should have been brought before a grand jury in Carson City instead of Las Vegas. They argued that the defendants had signed and submitted the suspected fraudulent documents in Carson City, the capital of Nevada.

During the hearing, Judge Holthus raised questions about the jurisdiction of the case, questioning why it was being brought to trial in Las Vegas when the alleged activities primarily occurred elsewhere. As a result of the dismissal, the trial that was scheduled for January has been called off.

The six defendants, who were accused of offering false instruments for filing and uttering forged instruments, potentially faced penalties of up to four or five years in prison. However, with the case now dismissed, defense attorneys assert that bringing it before another grand jury in a different venue would violate the three-year statute of limitations, which expired in December.

Unsurprisingly, the judge's decision has prompted criticism and accusations of "forum shopping" from defense attorneys. The state attorney general's office, representing Democrat Aaron Ford, has expressed disagreement with the ruling and plans to appeal immediately.

This is not the first time Judge Holthus has made national headlines. In an unrelated case, she became the victim of a violent courtroom attack when a defendant, Deobra Redden, hurled himself over the bench during a sentencing hearing. Redden was later indicted on multiple charges, including attempted murder.

The dismissal of the "fake electors" case in Nevada mirrors a similar trend in other battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Prosecutors have brought cases related to "fake electors" in these states, but none are scheduled to go to trial before the 2024 presidential election.

As Republicans face further setbacks in their efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election, the dismissal of the Nevada case deals a significant blow to their legal endeavors. The outcome of the appeal will determine whether the case has any further traction or if it will be permanently laid to rest.