A federal judge has slapped down much of the effort by the state to force the Tohono O'odham Nation to produce more documents in Arizona's fight to stop the tribe from opening a new casino near Glendale.
The tribe sued the state last month after Gaming Director Daniel Bergin, at the order of Gov. Doug Ducey, said it would not allow the new casino to open.
Bergin claims the tribe hid its plans for the site near Glendale during 2002 negotiations over tribal gaming, leaving voters to believe new casinos would be allowed only on existing reservations. Bergin said that makes the tribe it unfit to operate the casino.
MORE: Judge Rejects State's Plea In Effort To Stop Casino Near Glendale
In defending Bergin's action, the state sought various documents from the tribe, ranging from its assertion about how many tribal members would work at the facility to what effect the casino would have on Maricopa County.
But Judge David Campbell said some of the state's requests were overly broad while others were "overly burdensome."
"We're not going to comment on this pending litigation. We feel confident in our case," said Mia Garcia of the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
Not all of the judge's rulings were against the state.
Campbell said the state is entitled to some information the tribe did not want to reveal -- including audited financial statements and estimates of what the Tohono O'odham could earn from the project if casino-style gaming is prohibited.
A hearing is set for next month on the tribe's request for an injunction to keep the state from blocking the facility.