Updated: Redistricting update: Consider the hair successfully split

by Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

Edited to clarify some language.  I wrote the original update quickly, perhaps too quickly, and apologize for any confusion created.

Edit2, to clarify the clarification…

The Arizona Supreme Court has handed down its ruling in the Pearce/Adams lawsuit challenging the eligibility of three of the nominees for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).

The suit was partially successful – the Court ruled that Republicans Stephen Sossaman and Mark Schnepf are ineligible because of their service on irrigation district governing boards and the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments must select two more Republican applicants for Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce and Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams to add to the list of names from which the electeds will make their appointments to the AIRC.  The Court ordered that the two names be selected and forwarded to the electeds by January 31, 2011.

Update – The two names will be selected from the "short list" of 15 applicants that the Appellate Court Appointments Commission from which they drew the ten names forwarded to the legislative leadership.  No new applicants will be considered.

Update2 – I emailed Jennifer Liewer, the Chief Communications Officer of the Arizona Supreme Court for further clarification.  She doesn't know exactly what process the Appellate Court Appointments Commission will use at Friday's emergency meeting, so what I wrote above may be incorrect.

I'm leaving it up because it also may be correct.  🙂

End update…

On the other hand, the Court ruled that Professor Paul Bender's service on tribal courts does *not* violate the "no public officers" clause in the law that created the AIRC, and he remains on the list of Independent candidates for the AIRC.

More later…