No. 22-62

Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Alden Big Man, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-07-22
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)
Tags: civil-adjudicatory-jurisdiction electric-cooperative federal-regulation indian-tribes montana-exceptions montana-v-us nonmember-defendant nonmember-regulation subject-matter-jurisdiction tribal-court tribal-jurisdiction
Key Terms:
Privacy
Latest Conference: 2022-12-09 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether an Indian tribal court has subject-matter jurisdiction to adjudicate a tribally created claim as an 'other means' of regulating a nonmember federally funded and federally regulated electric cooperative tasked with providing electrical service to all customers within its service territory, including tribal members on Indian reservations?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED FOR REVIEW Indian tribes inherently lack jurisdiction to regulate and then adjudicate claims against nonmembers. In Montana v. U.S., 450 U.S. 544 (1981), this Court identified two narrow exceptions. The first relates to regulation of nonmembers who enter private, voluntary, consensual, commercial relationships with the tribe or its members. The second relates to activity that imperils the tribe’s political integrity, economic security, health, or welfare. This Court has never upheld tribal-court, civil-adjudicatory jurisdiction over a nonmember defendant under the first Montana exception, and expressly left this question open in Nevada v. Hicks, 533 U.S. 353, 360 (2001). The question now presented is: Whether an Indian tribal court has subject-matter jurisdiction to adjudicate a tribally created claim as an “other means” of regulating a nonmember federally funded and federally regulated electric cooperative tasked with providing electrical service to all customers within its service territory, including tribal members on Indian reservations?

Docket Entries

2022-12-12
Petition DENIED.
2022-11-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/9/2022.
2022-11-18
Reply of petitioner Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Inc. filed. (Distributed)
2022-11-07
2022-09-20
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 7, 2022.
2022-09-19
Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 7, 2022 to November 7, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-09-07
Response Requested. (Due October 7, 2022)
2022-08-31
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2022.
2022-08-12
Waiver of right of respondent Alden Big Man to respond filed.
2022-08-11
Waiver of right of respondents Unknown Members of the Crow Tribal Health Board; Kenneth Pitt, Justice of the Crow Tribal Court of Appeals; Dennis Myron Bear Don't Walk, Judge of the Crow Tribal Court, et al. to respond filed.
2022-07-19

Attorneys

Alden Big Man
Michael Glenn BlackBeck Amsden & Stalpes PLLC, Respondent
Michael Glenn BlackBeck Amsden & Stalpes PLLC, Respondent
Alden Big Man, et al.
Adam G. UnikowskyJenner & Block LLP, Respondent
Adam G. UnikowskyJenner & Block LLP, Respondent
Big Horn County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Neil G. WestesenCrowley Fleck, PLLP, Petitioner
Neil G. WestesenCrowley Fleck, PLLP, Petitioner
Unknown Members of the Crow Tribal Health Board; Kenneth Pitt, Justice of the Crow Tribal Court of Appeals; Dennis Myron Bear Don't Walk, Judge of the Crow Tribal Court, et al.
Melody L. McCoyNative American Rights Fund, Respondent
Melody L. McCoyNative American Rights Fund, Respondent