Pima County Attorney Laura Conover has lost a round in her fight to get a murder suspect back from the Feds so she can prosecute him.
When Federal prosecutors seized the suspect for their own prosecution in a mid-town crime spree, Conover sued to get him back so she can take him to trial on state murder charges.
The Pima County Attorney's Office sued high-ranking members of the Trump Administration in federal court to gain access to Julio Cesar Aguirre. But a Federal Judge has vacated an evidence hearing in the case.
Aguirre faces state charges of first-degree murder for the shooting death of 70-year-old Ricky Miller Sr., plus other serious charges in attacks against six more community members.
The Department of Justice argued Conover lacked legal basis to continue her lawsuit to get access to Aguirre.
Federal prosecutors have charged Aguirre with crimes that have the potential to give him the death penalty.
Pima County Attorney Conover has made it her policy not to seek the death penalty in murder cases. Her prosecutors often work toward life sentences instead.
In a statement, the Pima County Attorney's Office says it will "stay vigilant in our efforts to seek the Court's assistance to require them to produce Aguirre so we can prosecute him and bring justice to victims in this case."
