1 judge to consider all challenges to Ariz. law
All five constitutional challenges to Arizona's controversial new immigration enforcement law will be heard by one federal judge in Phoenix.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton already was assigned two of the cases. On Friday, she ordered the other three transferred to her.
The cases at least for now remain separate, but Bolton says it's clearly in the "interest of judicial economy" to have one judge preside over all five. She also notes that all five cases remain in early stages of consideration.
The Arizona law takes effect July 29 unless blocked by a court. Its provisions include a requirement that police officers enforcing another law to question a person's immigration status if there's a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.