Federal Court Dismisses Dakota Access Pipeline-Related RICO Suit Brought by Pipeline Co. against Greenpeace and Individual Indians

Here are the materials in Energy Transfer Equity LP v. Greenpeace International (D.N.D.):

95 Amended Complaint

102 Greenpeace Fund MTD

103-1 Greenpeace Intl MTD

111 Response

121 Two Bulls MTD

125 Response

126 Two Bulls Reply

130 Montoya MTD

131 Response

135 DCT Order

Texas Prevails in Suit against Ysleta del Sur Pueblo over Bingo

Here is the order granting Texas’ motion for summary judgment in State of Texas v. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (W.D. Tex.):

183 DCT Order

Briefs are here.

Federal Court Dismisses Bank Suit in Crow Nation Leadership Dispute

Here is the order in First Interstate BancSystem Inc. v. Not Afraid (D. Mont.):

20 DCT Order

Briefs are here.

Fletcher: “Law, Politics, and the Constitution”

Here, on SSRN.

The abstract:

The question whether Congress may create legal classifications based on Indian status under the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause is now reaching a critical point. Critics claim the Constitution allows no room to create race or ancestry based legal classifications. The critics are wrong. 

When it comes to Indian affairs, the Constitution is not colorblind. Textually, I argue, the Indian Commerce Clause and Indians Not Taxed Clause serve as express authorization for Congress to create legal classifications based on Indian race and ancestry, so long as those classifications are not arbitrary, as the Supreme Court stated a century ago in United States v. Sandoval and more recently in Morton v. Mancari. 

Should the Supreme Court reconsider those holdings, I suggest there are significant structural reasons why the judiciary should refrain from applying strict scrutiny review of Congressional legal classifications. The reasons are rooted in the political question doctrine and the institutional incapacity of the judiciary. Who is an Indian is a deeply fraught question to which judges have no special institutional capacity to assess. 

Federal Court Overturns Santa Ynez Band Trust Acquisition

Here are the materials in Crawford-Hall v. United States (C.D. Cal.):

1 Complaint

1-1 FONSI

1-2 BIA Pacific Region Notice of Decision

1-3 BIA Decision

1-4 Exhibit A

28-1 US Motion for Partial Dismiss

31 Opposition

35 Reply

39 US Supplemental Brief

40 Plaintiffs Supplemental Brief

44 Plaintiffs Supp Response Brief

45 US Supp Reply

51-1 US Motion for Summary J

52-1 Plaintiffs Motion for Summary J

55 Plaintiffs Opposition

57 US Opposition

68 DCT Order

North Dakota SCT Affirms Conviction of Standing Rock/NoDAPL Protester for Criminal Trespass, Vacates Riot Conviction

Here is the opinion in State v. Bearruner.

Texas Federal Court Grants Texas/AG Summary Judgment against Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Counterclaims

Here are updated materials in State of Texas v. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (W.D. Tex.):

83 Tribe Motion to Dismiss First Amended Complaint

86 Texas Response

87 Answer + Counterclaims

90 Reply

97 Texas Motion to Dismiss Counterclaims

98 Tribe Response

99 Reply

115 DCT Order

121 First Amended Counterclaims

146 Texas Motion for Summary Judgment

147 Texas AG Motion for Summary Judgment

153 Tribe Response to Texas AG

154 Tribe Response to Texas

157 Texas Reply

158 Texas AG Reply

176 DCT Order on MSJ re Counterclaims

Federal Court Rejects Motions to Dismiss New York Suit against Native Wholesale Supply & Grand River Enterprises Six Nations

Here are the materials in State of New York v. Grand River Enterprises Six Nations LTD (W.D. N.Y.):

76 Second Amended Complaint

79-3 Native Wholesale Supply MTD

81-1 Grand River Enterprises Six Nations MTD

84 NY Response to 81-1 [Stay Motion]

88 NWS Reply in Support of stay

89 GRE Reply in Support of Stay Motion

92 DCT Order Granting Stay Motion

93 NY Opposition to MTD

95-2 NWS Reply in Support of MTD

96 GRE Reply in Support of MTD

97 Magistrate Report100 NY Objections

102 NWS Response to Objections

103 NY Reply

110 DCT Order Sustaining Objections

Sixth Circuit Briefs in Bay Mills Indian Community v. Whitmer [formerly Snyder]

Here:

bmic-opening-brief.pdf

state’s brief

BMIC Reply

Other briefs TK

Lower court materials here.

KU 2019 Tribal Law & Government Conference

You’re invited to KU Law’s 23rd annual
Tribal Law & Government Conference
The U.S. Supreme Court and the Future of Federal Indian Law

March 8, 2019 | 8:45 AM – 4:45 PM | 104 Green Hall 
University of Kansas School of Law
1535 W. 15th Street | Lawrence, KS
6.5 hours CLE, including 1 hour of ethics, approved in KS + MO ($60)
Lunch provided

The 2019 conference speakers will discuss Indian law cases currently before the Supreme Court and the future of federal Indian law. Speakers include:

  • Bethany Berger, Professor, University of Connecticut School of Law
  • Ian Gershengorn, Chair of the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group at Jenner and Block
  • Ethan Jones, Yakama Nation
  • Monte Mills, Professor, Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana
  • Vivien Olsen, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
  • Colette Routel, Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
  • Joel Williams, Native American Rights Fund

View the complete schedule at law.ku.edu/tribal#conference. Questions? Contact Rebecca Clayton at rclayton@ku.edu.