Aug. 14 (UPI) — A judge in Nevada has dismissed forgery charges against six Republicans who falsely claimed to be electors in an effort to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state in 2020, ruling the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence of intent.

“The court concludes the evidence is insufficient to support a reasonable inference that defendants acted with the requisite intent to defraud,” Clark County Judge Mary Kay Holthus ruled Thursday.

The ruling is the latest setback in protracted litigation seeking to hold the six Republicans accountable for attempting to overturn President Donald Trump’s election loss in 2020.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford initially announced felony charges against the six Republicans in December 2023, accusing them of submitting a false electoral certificate that identified them as Nevada’s legitimate electors and purported to case the state’s six electoral votes for Trump following the 2020 election.

In June 2024, Holthus dismissed the case on venue grounds, which the Nevada Supreme Court reversed.

In her ruling Thursday, Holthus said the prosecution did not have sufficient evidence of fraudulent intent, pointing to the six Republicans publicly announcing their actions, undermining the state’s claim that they sought to deceive government officials.

She also said that Ford and his office failed to present evidence exculpatory evidence.

“Even considering the totality of the evidence before the court, including the evidence identified by defendants as having been omitted from the grand jury proceedings, the record does not support a reasonable inference of fraudulent intent,” she said.

“Indeed, the omitted evidence further reinforces the conclusion that defendants acted openly and consistently with their state purpose of preserving ongoing election challenges, rather than with intent to deceive.”

Ford said in a statement to the Reno Gazette Journal that he intends to appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

“The district court’s decision is, once again, wrong, and we will appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, just as we did when the court first dismissed,” he said.

“My office will continue to work to hold these fake electors accountable for their actions, which attempted to undermine our democracy and erode trust in our elections.”