A judge's ruling in Arizona yesterday found no violations of anti-trust laws on the part of the Tucson Citizen's parent company, Gannett Co., The Associated Press reported Wednesday. The judge's decision means the Tucson Citizen, which printed the last edition in its 138-year history on Saturday, will remained closed.

While the state accused Gannett Co. and Lee Enterprises Inc., owners of Tucson's other daily the Arizona Daily Star, of creating a monopoly by shutting down the Citizen, the parent companies maintained that their decision to shut down the paper was protected by their mutual Joint Operating Agreement, which assured the companies shared business operations.

Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Raner Collins ruled against the state, writing, "while regrettable that the Citizen's illustrious legacy must come to an end, it can not be said at this time, the decision to close the Citizen involves an anti-trust violation."

The state has yet to decide if it will appeal the court's decision, the AP reported.

As for Gannett Co. and Lee Enterprises Inc., despite the termination of their JOA, the comapnies will still share operating costs and revenue from the Citizen's online content as well as the Daily Star, according to the AP report.