PHOENIX — Suspended Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen pleaded not guilty to charges he is facing in Arizona relating to his allegedly fraudulent adoption business.
Petersen entered a not guilty plea to charges including conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, forgery, theft, and fraudulent schemes and practices.
Petersen pleaded not guilty to 19 federal charges in Arkansas Oct. 29.
Petersen was released on bond and traveled back to Arizona. 12 News talked to him at the airport, where he smiled at news media as he walked through the airport with his wife by his side.
Here is a quick guide to the case.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to suspend Petersen from his elected role as Maricopa County Assessor, naming Bill Wiley as a replacement in the interim. Petersen's attorneys previously said he will not resign.
