November 14, 2007
At the Capitol Today
Employer sanctions trial over, ruling expected by year's end

By Jim Small, jim.small@azcapitoltimes.com


A federal judge heard arguments Nov. 14 in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s employer sanctions law and indicated he would rule on the lawsuit before the penalties of the law go into effect in January.

Judge Neil Wake will rule on several motions made in the case, including motions to dismiss and to impose an injunction against the law, based on the oral arguments presented by attorneys during the one-day trial.

Wake seemed critical of the arguments from the plaintiffs – nearly a dozen business trade groups and advocacy organizations filed the suit – and he repeatedly questioned whether there was even standing for the court to rule on the law since the penalties had yet to go into effect.

“I’m struggling to find where the real injury is,â€