Phoenix Business Journal:  “Arizona police have pulled over close to 50,500 cars since Thanksgiving as part of an effort to catch drunk drivers and speeders.”

Arizona Republic:  “Only weeks after a new state law went into effect, the Department of Economic Security has provided federal authorities with nearly 800 names of people who tried to obtain public benefits but are believed to be illegal immigrants.  House Bill 2008, which took effect last month, established new identity-verification requirements for agencies that provide public benefits. People seeking benefits must provide identification and now, in some cases, also provide sworn affidavits affirming their citizenship. Agencies are required to turn over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement the names of people who they believe may be illegal immigrants.  Since mid-November, DES has discovered 772 people who sought public benefits but could not verify their legal status, said Steve Meissner, a DES spokesman. Because they could not verify their status, they never received benefits.”

Arizona Republic:  “An Arizona business felt the punitive impact of the Legal Arizona Workers Act for the first time Thursday when Golfland Entertainment Centers had its business license suspended for 10 days under the terms of a settlement reached with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.  The agreement marks the first time that an Arizona business has been punished as part of the employer-sanctions law, which went into effect in January 2008.”

Phoenix Business Journal:  “The Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Arizona is recommending that the Supreme Court sanction two-high profile attorneys with Phillips & Associates for office practices that violate the state Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct.   The Disciplinary Commission on Monday recommended that the Supreme Court suspend Jeffrey Phillips for six months and one day and that he also serve two years of probation.  The commission also recommended the suspension of Robert Arentz for 60 days and recommended he serve two years of probation.”

See “Phillips lawyers face suspension from state Bar.”

Arizona Republic:  “Confusion surrounding a provision in state law that took effect last month has local governments wondering whether they’ll now have to verify the citizenship of people seeking any public benefit, from a public pool to a library.  The source of the problem: A section in House Bill 2008, signed into law in September as part of the 2010 state budget, that requires those who seek ‘any state or local public benefit’ to prove citizenship by providing a driver’s license, passport or other legal identification.  The law also applies to federal benefits that have citizenship as a requirement for eligibility.”