Two polygamous towns on the Arizona-Utah line are opposing the federal government's bid to disband their shared police department as a way to remedy religious-based discrimination against nonbelievers.
Lawyers for Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, say problems at the police agency don't require such a drastic step.
They also urged a judge in court papers Tuesday to resist the U.S. Justice Department's proposal to get an official appointed to monitor town operations in response to a civil-rights verdict against the towns.
A jury concluded that the neighboring towns violated the constitutional rights of nonbelievers by denying them police protection and other basic government services.
The police department was found to have arrested nonbelievers without having probable cause and made unreasonable searches of property.
