A judge was urged to halt the sale of Eastern Air.

Employees of the financially crippled carrier urged a judge to halt Eastern Airlines imminent takeover by Texas Air Corp., contending that Eastern’s board cut an illegal deal with Texas Air Chairman Francisco A. (Frank) Lorenzo and that their own offer was better. U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said in Miami that he will rule today on the employee coalition’s plea that he postpone a meeting Tuesday of Eastern shareholders.