Western Union was supported by Supreme Court against Arizona State

This week Western Union was upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court in the lawsuit against the state. The court ruled that Arizona exceeded its authority in attempting to seize Western Union wire transfers sent from other states to locations in Mexico.

In September 2006, the Arizona Attorney General obtained a warrant seeking to seize all Western Union money transfers above $500 sent from anyone in 29 U.S. states for which payment was requested at any of 26 agent locations in Sonora, Mexico. 

Western Union obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the seizures. The TRO was later affirmed by the Arizona Superior Court, which quashed the warrant. 

The State appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed the Superior Court decision. Western Union appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court, resulting in the current decision, in which the Supreme Court upheld Western Union’s position.

In an official statement Western Union said: “We are pleased that the Arizona Supreme Court has agreed with us. While this decision prohibits the seizure of out-of-state transactions, we will continue to work with Arizona to combat illegal activity. 

“At its heart, this matter involved Western Union protecting the interest of our consumers. The Arizona Supreme Court found that the seizure warrant here went too far, exceeding Arizona’s legal authority and interfering with legitimate transactions by consumers across the United States. 

“Western Union fully supports law enforcement goals, and over the years we have worked cooperatively with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in attempting to ensure that our services are compliant and used appropriately.”