A ruling is expected in January over whether the Independent Redistricting Commission met the state Constitution’s requirement to create enough competitive legislative districts, a lawyer connected with the case said.

“The judge has indicated he will rule in January, perhaps as early as mid-January, which is a remarkable time frame considering the complexity of this case,” said A. David Braun. He is one of the attorneys representing members of minority groups who say the redistricting commission failed to meet the “competitive districts” provision of Article IV, Part 2, Section 1 of the Arizona Constitution, which charges the commission with meeting a number of criteria for drawing legislative boundaries.

Closing arguments in the case were heard over a span scheduled to last six hours on Dec. 18. The trial began Nov. 12.

Even with a January ruling from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields, though, whoever loses almost certainly will appeal, Mr. Braun said.

“We’re in uncharted territory in the sense that the redistricting commission is a new creation, so any issue like this is going to be contested as far as it can go,” Mr. Braun said.

Voters created the Independent Redistricting Commission through a ballot measure in 2000. The measure added the provision for the commission to the state Constitution, taking redistricting out of the hands of the Legislature, which previously had drawn Congressional and legislative boundaries following each census. —