Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas will try another venue to appeal his lost lawsuit against the county after being turned down by the state Supreme Court.
Barnett Lotstein, a top aide to Thomas, tells New Times that the case -- which involves the county's strip of Thomas' power to handle civil lawsuits -- will be re-filed this afternoon with the state Court of Appeals. Lotstein says the decision to launch the appeal directly to the Supreme Court was made in hopes of expediting a resolution. Because the gist of the appeal involves a previous case handled by the Supreme Court, "Maricopa County vs. Woodall," Thomas had hoped the supe-court justices would want to intervene right away, Lotstein says. Instead, the county attorney was essentially told to stick to the usual chain of command.
"It's not a setback at all," Lotstein claims of the Supreme Court ruling. "It delays it a little bit."
If the Court of Appeals rejects Thomas' argument, the state Supreme Court is almost certain to experience a blast of deja vu with this case.
