Michigan state court rejects request to block Detroit election certification results

A Michigan state court rejected on Friday a request by supporters of President Donald Trump to block the certification of votes in Detroit, which went heavily in favor of President-elect Joe Biden, Trump's Democratic challenger. The ruling is a setback for Trump and Republicans who have been trying to overturn Biden's victory in the Nov. 3 election by preventing officials from certifying election results.

"It would be an unprecedented exercise of judicial activism for this Court to stop the certification process of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers," wrote Timothy Kenny, chief judge of the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan, referring to the county that includes Detroit. The lawsuit alleged fraud and voting irregularities and requested an injunction to prevent certification of Detroit's election results and also requested a new election.

In a court filing, Wayne County rejected the allegations, saying: "Election officials and workers accurately performed their jobs." On Wednesday, the Trump campaign filed a similar lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Michigan and has also sued in other battleground states seeking to block the certification of election results.

Legal scholars have said lawsuits challenging election results are more appropriate for state court, and the ruling by the Wayne County Circuit Court could undermine the Trump campaign efforts in federal court.