Mediation in immigration lawsuit canceled

Associated Press - July 7, 2008 4:45 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A scheduled mediation conference between challengers and defenders of the state's anti-illegal immigration law has been canceled by mutual agreement.

Charlie Price, spokesman for Attorney General Drew Edmondson, said parties in the case had agreed that mediation would be useless.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had instructed both sides to take part in a mediation conference Wednesday to explore the possibilities of a settlement.

An official with the Denver Court said most civil lawsuits go to mediation.

But Attorney General Drew Edmondson said Monday he never thought mediation was a workable solution in a case that involves a constitutional issue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups say a provision of the law subjecting employers to penalties pre-empts federal law and is unconstitutional. Edmondson's office is defending the provision.

A federal judge in Oklahoma City issued an order preventing the provision affecting employers from going into effect July 1.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.