Judith Armijo has filed a lawsuit against Graham County and Graham County's Superior Court Judge R. Douglas Holt because she claims Holt directed a Gila County judge to illegally close her business.

"A superior court judge has no authority, implied or otherwise, to close a legal business within the community and preclude an individual to make an honest living," Armijo said in the complaint she filed.

Armijo filed the civil complaint June 10 saying her civil rights had been violated, she experienced financial loss and had to seek mental counseling because of Gila County Judge Edward Dawson's decision to close her business.

Dawson heard her case Dec. 10, 2001, because Holt stepped down from the case due to a conflict of interest, but he sent Dawson a letter advising him to forbid Amijo to practice law.

Dawson had sentenced Armijo to three years probation, two months of jail, 360 hours of community service and she must pay back more than $23,000 she stole from Sunshine Apartments and Duncan Heights from March 1999 to April 2000. He did not allow her to continue her paralegal business in Graham County without Holt's approval.

Armijo told Dawson that after she got out of jail she would try and start her paralegal business again. Her jail sentence started Jan. 14, 2002.

In her complaint, Armijo said Holt stated that she was under investigation by the State Bar of Arizona for the unauthorized practice of law. But she claims the bar denied an investigation.

"Because the lawsuit is pending, I prefer not to make any comment at this time," Holt said.

Armijo was unavailable for further comment.

Holt stepped down from the 2001 case because he was on the Graham County Rural Housing Development Board that hired Armijo as executive director of the Rural Housing Development Association.

He did, however, preside over the pre-trial hearing.