Montana SCT Asserts Jurisdiction over “Ojibwe Peace Flag” Probate

Here are the materials in Estate of Gopher:

Appellant Brief

Appellee Brief

Reply Brief

Mont SCT Opinion

An excerpt:

In its order, the Blackfeet Tribal Court unequivocally declined to assert subject matter jurisdiction with respect to the flag, the subject of this appeal. The Blackfeet Tribal Court noted that the “flag is located in Cascade County and has never been on the Blackfeet reservation” and Dorothy was domiciled in Cascade County at the time of her death. The Blackfeet Tribal Court stated it “will not accept any further filings from the Gopher family in regards to the thirteen star flag until they have prevailed in their litigation in the State Court.” No evidence supports the siblings’ argument that the Blackfeet Tribal Court’s decision was made “prematurely or through error.” Because the Blackfeet Tribal Court has expressly declined to assert jurisdiction over the Estate property, it is clear that the District Court did not unlawfully infringe on the Blackfeet Tribe’s right of tribal self-government. Moreover, because Dorothy resided in Cascade County at the time of her death and the corpus of the Estate is located in Cascade County, venue was proper, and the District Court did not err when it assumed jurisdiction over the probate of the Estate.

Judge Hogan Sets Cherokee Freedmen Oral Argument for April 29, 2014

Here:

2013-09-17 Order Granting Joint Motion for Order Setting Briefing Schedule for Summary Judgment on Core Issue

 

Briefing Schedule in Cherokee Freedmen Case (Now in D.C. Federal District Court)

Here:

2013-09-13 Joint Motion for Order Setting Briefing Schedule for Summary Judgment on Core Issue and Staying Case on All Other Matters

Federal Court Orders Tribal Exhaustion in Coeur d’Alene Reservation Waste Dumping

Here are the materials in St. Isidore Farm LLC v. Coeur D’Alene Tribe of Indians (D. Idaho):

1 Complaint

3-1 St. Isadore Motion for TRO

7 DCT Order Granting TRO

17 Coeur d’Alene Response

21 Coeur d’Alene Motion to Dismiss

28 St. Isadore Reply

43 St. Isadore Response

44 Coeur d’Alene Reply

61 DCT Order Granting Motion to Dismiss

News coverage here.

Evidence of Prior Navajo DUI Conviction Excluded from Federal Prosecution

Here are the materials in United States v. Bundy (D. N.M.):

US Motion to Introduce Evidence of Navajo Conviction

Bundy Response

DCT Order Denying Motion

From the order:

As previously noted, Defendant has provided the Court with a copy of the transcript of her guilty plea proceeding. [Doc. 194-1] Since there is no indication in the transcript that Defendant was represented by counsel, the Court will not assume that Defendant was informed of her rights by counsel. Rule 12(c) of the Navajo Rules of Criminal Procedure required the judge, prior to accepting Defendant’s plea, to explain to Defendant that she had the rights (1) to remain silent, (2) to have counsel at her own expense or appointed counsel if defendant cannot afford counsel, (3) to plead not guilty, (4) to confront and cross-examine witnesses; (5) to be released on bail unless certain findings are made, (6) to trial by jury, (7) to a speedy and public trial, (8) to call witnesses, and (9) to file a writ of habeas corpus. Instead of the detailed enumeration of her trial rights contemplated by the Navajo Rules of Criminal Procedure, the page-and-a-half transcript shows a cursory, rudimentary colloquy. Although Defendant was asked “Do you understand your rights as explained to you?” the transcript does not include any enumeration of those rights, nor does the record show that Defendant was told that she was giving up those rights by pleading guilty. Under the Navajo Rules of Criminal Procedure, the advisement of rights pursuant to Rule 12(c) is the sole procedure for advising a defendant of her rights. Further, Defendant’s counsel has represented to the Court that an examination of the tape of the proceedings before the tribal court for April 22, 2009 fails to show any explanation of rights to Defendant or any other person. [Doc. 194 at 3, n.1] It appears that this prerequisite to a valid guilty plea was entirely overlooked in Defendant’s case. The Court finds that Defendant was not advised of key rights guaranteed by ICRA–the privilege against self-incrimination, the right to confront her accusers and to compulsory process, the right to counsel at her own expense, and the right to trial before a jury of not less than six persons. Section 1302 (4) (6) and (10). The transcript also shows that there was no inquiry into the factual basis of Defendant’s plea. Defendant has made a compelling showing that her guilty plea was not knowing and voluntary. Under ICRA due process of law is itself a right. Section 1302(8). The Court concludes that Defendant’s guilty plea was obtained in violation of the due process provision of ICRA, and under Shavanaux is inadmissible as substantive evidence in a subsequent federal prosecution.

In a footnote, the court added:

Given the solicitude of the Navajo Supreme Court for the rights of accused tribemembers, e.g. Eriacho v. Ramah District Court, 6 Am. Tribal Law 624 (Navajo Sup. Ct. 2005); Navajo Nation v. Curley, 6 Am. Tribal Law 697 (Navajo Sup. Ct. 2005); Curley v. Navajo Nation, 4 Am. Tribal Law 622 (Navajo Sup. Ct. 2002), the Court has considerable doubt whether a prior conviction based on a demonstrably invalid guilty plea would be admissible in Navajo tribal court over the defendant’s objection.

Sac and Fox Company Sues Ponca Tribe in Federal Court over Construction Contract

Here is the complaint in G2 v. Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (W.D. Okla.):

G2 Complaint

An excerpt:

5. On March 1, 2010, the Ponca Tribe executed a “Construction Loan” in favor of G2 in the principal amount of $750,000.00, with a rider that all construction should be performed at cost plus 10%.

6. G2 performed all of its obligations under the Construction Loan contract.
7. The Ponca Tribe had been substantially performing on this Construction Loan by making payments to G2 in the amount of $35,000.00 per month. See attached Exhibit 2.
8. Despite G2’s notice of default and demand for repayment, the Ponca Tribe has defaulted on repayment pursuant to the terms of the Construction Loan. Said failure constitutes an event of default pursuant to the Construction Loan. The Ponca Tribe breached its contract with G2 by failing to make payments on the principal balance, and failing to otherwise cure the default.
9. G2 has sustained damages in connection with the Ponca Tribe’s breach of contract.
10. G2 has sustained damages and costs in connection with the Ponca Tribe’s continued use of its tax license, incurring fees and monies owed (OTC Case No. P-13-037-K).

11. G2 is entitled to recover damages it has sustained, including repayment of the remaining principal balance of $350,000.00, interest which continues to accrue, plus the expenses related to filing this action and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

Reply Brief in EXC, Inc. v. Jensen

Here:

Jensen Reply

 

White House Blog Post on VAWA 2013 and Indian Health

Here.

An excerpt:

Because of the successful 2013 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which President Obama signed into law on March 7, 2013, tribal courts and law enforcement will soon be able to exercise the sovereign power to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence those who commit acts of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian country, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status. The tribal provisions of this landmark legislation were originally proposed by the Department of Justice in 2011 to address alarming rates of violence against native women.  We believe today, as we did then, that this is not only constitutionally sound law, but it is also a moral prerogative and an essential tool to ensure that non-Indian men who assault Indian women are held accountable for their crimes.

Grand Canyon Skywalk Development Cert Petition

Here is the cert petition in the case now captioned Grand Canyon Skywalk Development LLC v. Grand Canyon Resort Development Corporation:

Petition For A Writ Of Certiorari

Questions presented:

1. Does Montana v. United States, 450 U.S. 544 (1981) apply on tribal land, as this Court suggested in Nevada v. Hicks, 533 U.S. 353, 358 (2001), or does this Court acquiesce in the Ninth Circuit’s contrary decision in Water Wheel Camp Recreation Area v. LaRance, 642 F.3d 802 (9th Cir. 2011)?

2. Does a non-tribal member consent to tribal jurisdiction under Montana even when that “consent” comes in the form of a contract with a tribal corporation which expressly provides that disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration, not in tribal court, and where the tribal enterprise has expressly waived its sovereign immunity to permit arbitration?

3. Are intangible contract rights of a Nevada corporation located on federal land held in trust for the Tribe and thus subject to the Tribe’s eminent domain powers because they relate to activities on tribal land?

4. Does the bad-faith exception to National Farmers exhaustion require a showing that the tribal court acted in bad faith, or is it sufficient to demonstrate that the Tribe’s governing council (Tribal Council) did so and that the Tribe’s judiciary lacked judicial independence?

Lower court materials here.

Douglas Luckerman’s Attorney Fees Suit Remanded to Tribal Court

Here are the materials in Luckerman v. Narragansett Indian Tribe (D. R.I.):

8-1 Narragansett Motion to Dismiss

10-1 Luckerman Response

13 Matthew Thomas Affidavit

13-1 Narragansett Reply

16 DCT Order

Prior post here.