Fronteras

A judge has ruled the Maricopa County Attorney's Office can move forward with plans to retry a high-profile murder case. :Debra Milke’s lawyers had argued the county attorney’s office was pursuing the case for political reasons. Milke was convicted and sentenced to death in 1990 for having her son shot and killed by two men. An appeals court overturned her conviction after it found prosecutors had not turned over evidence of misconduct by a police detective who had claimed Milke had confessed to him.

The Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday it’s “pure speculation” that the current county attorney and chief prosecutor are pursuing the case for political or financial reasons and that much has changed in the years since the appeals court overturned Milke’s conviction, including the retirement of the prosecutor and a new county attorney.

Milke’s retrial is set for the end of next month.