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THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2003

Congress should act to enforce state and local authority over Indian Country, The Sacramento Bee says in an editorial.

The paper says this week's Supreme Court ruling in the Inyo County v. Bishop Paiute Tribe case has left law enforcement in limbo. "State and local officials must have clear authority to enforce the laws on Indian land," the paper says. "If the courts can't provide that clarity -- and thus far they have not -- Congress must."

Monday's unanimous decision to set aside a ruling that held Inyo County officials liable for seizing records owned by the Bishop Paiute Tribe encourages cooperative law enforcement agreements, say tribal attorneys. Even California attorney general Bill Lockyer, who submitted an amicus brief backing the county in the case, agrees.

Get the Story:
Editorial: Legal limbo (The Sacramento Bee 5/22)
Court silent on searches of tribe land by sheriffs (The San Diego Union-Tribune 5/22)

Get the Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Stevens]

Supreme Court Briefs:
Inyo County v. Bishop Paiute Tribe

Decision Below:
BISHOP PAIUTE TRIBE v. COUNTY OF INYO No. 01-15007 (January 4, 2002)

Relevant Documents:
Docket Sheet: No. 02-281 | Senate Testimony: Monty Bengochia on Supreme Court Precedents

Relevant Links:
Paiute Palace Casino - http://www.paiutepalace.com
Inyo County - http://www.countyofinyo.org

Related Stories:
Supreme Court rebuffs tribe in immunity case (5/20)
It could have been a lot worse for Indian Country (5/20)
Ruling in Inyo County case not 'anti-Indian' (5/20)
Supreme Court rules in Inyo County case (5/19)
Case could upset sovereign immunity doctrine (05/12)
Oral argument transcript posted in Inyo County case (04/29)
Supreme Court tussles with tribal sovereignty case (04/01)
Supreme Court case too close to call for some (04/01)
County presses Supreme Court on law enforcement (04/01)
Supreme Court hears sovereignty case (3/31)
Supreme Court panel to discuss Inyo County case (3/31)
Ore. withdraws from states' Supreme Court brief (3/27)
Tribes and states stress cooperation not conflict (02/28)
Tribes enter Supreme Court case (2/25)
Showdown looms in tribal sovereignty case (02/20)
State power over tribal government in dispute (12/03)