By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services/Arizona Daily Sun
The state has lost the first skirmish in its new battle to stop the Tohono O’odham Nation from opening its casino in Glendale.
U.S. District Judge Steven Logan rejected a plea by the Attorney General’s Office that he continue to handle the lawsuit filed against the governor and others by the tribe. Instead, Logan sent the case to Judge David Campbell.
Logan made the move at the behest of the tribe, which said Campbell has some knowledge of the issue: He previously handled several separate lawsuits over the same casino.
More significant, though, is that Campbell ruled in favor of the tribe in all those cases, rejecting a whole series of prior efforts by the state to block the casino.
