Tucson Citizen Court Drama Launched by AG Scheduled for This Morning; Newspaper Puts Out Last Issue

Ray Stern May 18, 2009 8:59AM

A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments by the state Attorney General's office this morning as to why the Tucson Citizen should stay closed, says one of the newspaper's would-be buyers.

Stephen Hadland, CEO of the Santa Monica Media Group, publisher of the Culver City Observer, sent the following e-mail to New Times (and, apparently, to Editor and Publisher magazine):

The Judge has set a hearing in the matter of the closing of the Tucson Citizen. The hearing will be held in Tucson Federal Court at 9:30 AM Monday morning. Lee and Gannett are flying in their Chief Counsels.

The Judge assigned to the case is U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins.

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They have both filed motions to dismiss the Case.

The United States Department of Justice is also sending a representative.

I personally believe the Attorney General will prevail.

Stephen Hadland CEO, Santa Monica Mdia Company, LLC Publisher & President Observer Newspapers (310) 503-4145

The newspaper, 138 years and seven months old, ran its last edition on Saturday. Click here for its "epitaph."

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Ray Stern has worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.