More Updates:

Mom led sons on crime spree to pay her rent, cops say1-year-old girl nearly drowns in midtown tubMissing 1-year-old girl found safePolitical Notebook: No bonding over budget between Brewer and BurnsBeaudry RV buys time in reorg planPhones back on at Pima County's Animal Care CenterPolice: Arizona mom led sons on crime spreeTucson weekend: Find stuff to doPalin resignation leaves questions on 2012 runTucson youth center settles in to new Downtown locationToday's interactive map of crime in TucsonTucson gas-price tracker: StarNet helps you save at the pumpSerena beats sister Venus in Wimbledon finalCalif. regulators warn of pot's cancer capabilityPowerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home

Other articles by Arthur H. Rotstein:

Border czar: Enforcement key to immigration reform Fewer illegal border crossings mean fewer Goldwater Range interruptions Balancing dual role: border agent, chaplain Students' residency was OK'd, official says Official says Douglas charter school complying with Ariz. lawWork on 'virtual fence' to start soonFeds ready to build virtual fence along Arizona-Mexico borderNapolitano no longer calls for sending National Guard to borderGannett rejects bid for Citizen; talks continueCalif. group's latest offer to buy Tucson Citizen rejected

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Lawyers clashed in federal court Thursday over whether activities that led to corruption charges against U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi’s activities were constitutionally protected.

Renzi is charged with a slew of felonies stemming from a land swap deal and also is accused of misappropriating insurance company premiums.

At a pretrial hearing in Tucson, defense attorney Reid Weingarten said the indictment against the retiring Republican congressman from Arizona’s 1st District should be dismissed. He said the constitution’s “speech or debate” provision grants members of Congress protections for their legislative acts and federal investigators violated that repeatedly.

But prosecutor Andrew Levchuk said the protection does not apply to any conversation a congressman has — including a promise to deliver a future vote.