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Voting map fight over?

June 02, 2004

Associated Press

The Hispanic Democrats likely will not ask the Arizona Supreme Court to overturn a stay issued Friday by the Court of Appeals, said Paul Eckstein, an attorney for the challengers.

With the June 9 candidate filing deadline fast approaching, the Court of Appeals said it was too late in the election process to switch to different districts or to leave uncertainty about which map would be used.

If that court's judges felt last week "that time had run out, by the time the Supreme Court gets to it, there will be less time," Eckstein said.

Eckstein said the decision to not go to the Supreme Court was "fairly definitive."

It could change if the U.S. Department of Justice this week authorizes use of a new map drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission at the order of the trial judge or if the commission decides Thursday to delay withdrawing its application for authorization, but neither is likely, Eckstein added.

The Redistricting Commission has scheduled a meeting Thursday to review its legal position and to consider withdrawing the application.

The Court of Appeals stayed an order by Judge Kenneth Fields of Maricopa County Superior Court.