A state judge today rejected a request to extend the closing date for the sale of the Honolulu Advertiser.

Circuit Judge Rom Trader said he was sympathetic to the plight of Advertiser employees who faced the prospect of losing their jobs. But he ruled that the company provided adequate notice of the sale and that the circumstances didn't warrant the granting of an injunction.

"I don't believe the plaintiffs had met their burden of substantial harm," Trader said.

Several Advertiser employees, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, sued newspaper owner Gannett Co. last month, alleging that the company did not provide the adequate 60-day notice that's required under state law. They were asking for what amounted to a one month delay in the deal.