In a high-profile court appearance on Tuesday, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and 10 other defendants entered pleas of not guilty to charges of allegedly conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. The defendants were indicted by a grand jury last month, with charges including the involvement of fake electors and individuals connected to former President Donald Trump's campaign.

The court ordered Giuliani to post a $10,000 bond after he had evaded attempts by the state to serve him a summons over the past week. Prosecutors had been searching for Giuliani for weeks before eventually locating him in Florida based on some of his podcasts. He was served with the summons at his 80th birthday celebration, organized by a GOP operative.

During the hearing, prosecutor Nicholas Klingerman argued for a $10,000 cash bond and emphasized Giuliani's lack of cooperation in the proceedings. Klingerman recounted how agents had been waiting outside the birthday party to serve Giuliani, and it was only after the former mayor tweeted about evading authorities that he was served shortly after leaving the event.

Giuliani maintained his innocence and claimed that he had not been hiding from anyone but had specific security rules due to numerous threats. He dismissed the indictment as an embarrassment to the American legal system, asserting that he had always complied with legal processes despite being sued multiple times by a movement seeking to "destroy Donald Trump."

The arraignment also involved defendants Christina Bobb, who serves as the Republican National Committee's top lawyer for "election integrity," former Trump campaign aide Mike Roman, and former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, among others. Four defendants appeared virtually, while six appeared in person to enter their not-guilty pleas.

The court scheduled upcoming appearances for six other defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn, and former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis, who are expected to appear next month. Notably, while Trump himself is not charged in Arizona, the indictment refers to him as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."

As the legal proceedings continue, the indictment and court appearances underline the ongoing scrutiny surrounding efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Giuliani and the other defendants will now await further developments in the case, which could have far-reaching implications for the individuals involved and the broader political landscape.