Justices Won't Hear Dispute over Arizona Judicial Candidates

The Supreme Court won't take up a dispute over Arizona rules that prohibit some candidates for elected judgeships from soliciting campaign contributions or participating in somebody else's campaign.

The justices on Tuesday left in place a lower court ruling that rejected a constitutional challenge to parts of Arizona's Code of Judicial Conduct.

Arizona lawyer Randolph Wolfson challenged the rules after twice running unsuccessfully for a judgeship in Mohave County. He argued that the rules infringe on candidates' free-speech rights and were too broad to serve the state's interest in having an impartial judiciary.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the rules.