Eleventh Circuit Affirms IRS Authority to Issue Subpoenas of Miccosukee Records

Here is the opinion in Miccosukee Tribe of Indians v. United States.

An excerpt:

This appeal presents three issues: (1) whether the Miccosukee Tribe may assert tribal sovereign immunity to quash summonses issued to third-party financial institutions by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service to obtain tribal financial records relevant to an ongoing tax investigation; (2) whether the Commissioner issued the summonses for a proper purpose; and (3) whether the Tribe has standing to bring an overbreadth challenge to summonses issued to third parties and, if so, whether the summonses were overbroad. In 2010, the Commissioner issued four summonses to third-party financial institutions to determine whether the Tribe had complied with its federal withholding requirements during the period from 2006 to 2009. The Tribe petitioned to quash the summonses on the grounds of sovereign immunity, improper purpose, relevance, bad faith, and overbreadth. The district court denied those petitions. Because we conclude that tribal sovereign immunity does not bar the issuance of these third-party summonses, the district court did not clearly err when it found that the summonses were issued for a proper purpose, and the Tribe lacks standing to challenge the summonses for overbreadth, we affirm.

Briefs are here.

Lower court materials here.

Interior Disapproves Mashpee Wampanoag Gaming Compact

Here is the disapproval letter:

Patrick 12 Oct 2012

We posted the compact here.

Update in Sharp Image Gaming v. Shingle Springs Miwok

The tribe here is appealing a state court trial decision holding that a jury should determine whether the tribe’s waiver of immunity was “reasonable.” There are other issues as well (for example, the NIGC issued an opinion on the underlying contract that the state trial court disregarded on various grounds). Here are the materials in Sharp Image Gaming v. Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (Cal. App.):

2009-11-17 Ruling re Motion to Dismiss

2012-10-10 Tribes Opening Brief

Prior post on this case here.

Furry v. Miccosukee Cert Petition: State Dram Shop Actions and Immunity

Here:

Furry Cert Petition

Questions presented:

1. Does Justice Brandeis’ opinion in Turner v. United States, 248 U.S. 354 (1919) support the concept of tribal sovereign immunity or should that accidental doctrine, questioned in Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma v. Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., 523 U.S. 751 (1998), be revised and discarded, at least in the context of tribal alcoholic beverage commercial activities?
2. Do Title 18 U.S.C. § 1161 and Rice v. Rehner, 463 U.S. 713 (1983), exclude tribal alcoholic beverage endeavors from sovereign immunity protection?
3. Does tribal sovereign immunity preclude a suit against an Indian Tribe which has obtained a state liquor license and has operated an alcoholic beverage facility pursuant to that liquor license and in the process has violated state law subjecting a license holder to liability?
Lower court materials here.

Federal Court Remands Tribal Gaming Lease Dispute to State Court

Here is the order in Apache Tribe of Oklahoma v. TGS Anadarko (W.D. Okla.):

DCT Order Remanding to State Court

Prior materials were here.

Massachusetts Tribes Move to Intervene in KG Urban v. Patrick Case

Here are those materials:

2012-09-07_(40)_Memo in Support of Motion to Intervene and Exhibits

Mashpee Motion to Intervene [Rule 19 motion]

IPR: LTBB Plans Casino In Mackinaw City

Here. Hey, imagine that. An Indian tribe staying within its traditional territory to engage in gaming.

Dean Leeds Joins Former NY Chief Justice and Cuomo Donor on Arbitration Panel to Resolve Dispute over Seneca Revenue Sharing ($460M at Stake Now)

Here is the news coverage, via Pechanga.

Federal Court Affirms NIGC Disapproval of Sac & Fox/New Gaming Systems (Management Contract)

Here are the materials in New Gaming Systems Inc. v. National Indian Gaming Commission (W.D. Okla.):

NIGC Final Decision — New Gaming & Sac and Fox

New Gaming Administrative Appeal

NIGC Response

Sac and Fox Response

New Gaming Reply

DCT ORDER affirming NIGC decision

Also:

2191796 – Sac and Fox – SupremeCourt Ruling – OPINION

Eastern Band Cherokee Opinion in Trust Land Probate (Casino Land Takings Case)

Here is the opinion in Jasper v. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians:

Jasper v. EBCI 83012

News coverage here (“Court rules tribe can’t take land targeted for casino”).