An Arizona grand jury indicted two local Republican officials who balked at certifying their county’s general election results by the legal deadline in 2022 – in a standoff with state officials that drew national attention at the time.
Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd, 61, and Tom Crosby, 64, each were charged with two felonies: interference with an election officer and conspiracy, according to the indictment.
“The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday, announcing the indictment.
Why can’t we just call it attempted treason?
What’s ‘attempted’ about it. Treason is treason whether they’re successful or not.
Good point.
Because it’s sedition, not treason. Just as bad, if not worse, but a different thing.
So why can’t we call it that?
We absolutely should!
What Is Treason, and What Are The Penalties For Treasonous Acts? Treason is the willful act by citizens of a country levying war against any government or providing aid and comfort to their enemies. This crime is extreme in the United States, and the law will deal with anyone convicted of such. Treason is also one of the only crimes written in the constitution. In times past, some persons have been charged with treason, but these cases are uncommon.
The penalties for treasonous acts could be death or spending time behind bars for not less than five years and would be considered an enemy to the country. Any person convicted of treason can also be fined no less than $10,000 and cannot have any office under the United States government.
What Is Sedition And What Are The Penalties For Seditious Acts? Sedition is the act of a person forcefully trying to overthrow, take down, hinder, or delay the government or its laws by doing so through words or speech. Like treason, someone found guilty of this crime would face terrible judgments.
The person or persons convicted of sedition can face up to 20 years behind bars or can be fined the amount of $10,000.
https://thelawdictionary.org/article/treason-vs-sedition/
TLDR: it could just be the wrong charge and you’d have better luck with a sedition charge.