The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is still considering criminally charging a woman who is accused of fabricating evidence in a paternity suit against a former "Bachelor" contestant from Scottsdale.

Laura Owens of Scottsdale filed a petition for a court order of paternity seeking child support from Clayton Echard in Maricopa County Superior Court in August 2023.

Owens initially claimed that she became pregnant with twins after having sexual intercourse with Echard.

Echard claimed Owens' paternity lawsuit was filed as a form of harassment and denied paternity. In court filings, he said they had oral sex, but "that was all."

Echard accused Owens of lying and fabricating medical documents. His attorneys also submitted examples of Owens threatening to take the story to the press.

Owens subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the petition to establish paternity, saying she was "no longer pregnant."

Judge Julie Mata granted Owens' motion to drop the petition for paternity but said the issues of sanctions and attorney's fees still needed to be resolved.

Both parties addressed those issues at a trial on June 10 , which was attended by close to 100 people from around the country who had been following the case due to the celebrity connection.

Mata found Owens had altered documents, changed the results of a pregnancy test, given false testimony and potentially perjured herself in what the judge said appeared to be "a case of serial fabrications."

Mata found Owens admitted to altering and fabricating ultrasounds and sonograms. Owens provided a sonogram to Echard, supposedly showing her pregnancy, which Mata said had actually been posted to YouTube seven years ago.

Ultimately, Mata found that no pregnancy could be confirmed, saying the test results provided fell "woefully short" of meeting the burden of clear and convincing evidence needed to prove Echard was the father of the alleged pregnancy. She granted Echard's petition for non-paternity.

Mata wrote that Owens had acted unreasonably, saying she had initiated litigation "without basis or merit."

"Without an authentic ultrasound, sonogram, physical examination and in conjunction with a belief she passed tissue in July 2023, the Court finds the underlying Petition premature at best," Mata wrote. "At worst, however, fraudulent and made to incite communication, a relationship, or both, with (Echard)."

"The petition was filed for an improper purpose, such as to harass the other party, to cause an unnecessary delay or to increase the cost of litigation to the other party," Mata said.

Mata found Owens provided false testimony about her pregnancies in three other cases and presented false claims.

In addition, Mata referred Owens for felony prosecution for violating Arizona's laws regarding perjury and evidence tampering.

"It is further ordered, the Court having determined that Laura Owens has a pattern of similar, if not identical behavior, and court involvement, referring this matter to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review of Laura Owen's actions," Mata wrote.

On Oct. 31, the County Attorney's Office released an update on the case.

“The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is continuing the process of reviewing the referral from Superior Court on the case of Laura Owens," County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. "Further information is forthcoming when a charging decision has been made.”