Judge dismisses Buena Vista compact lawsuit

Thursday, January 15, 2009  

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the Class III gaming compact for the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California.

Amador County sued the Interior Department, alleging the compact violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. But Judge Richard Roberts in Washington, D.C., said there was nothing to review because the compact was automatically approved after 45 days.

"The Secretary’s choice of whether to approve, disapprove, or take no action on an Indian gaming compact is a decision committed to the Secretary’s discretion, and IGRA precludes judicial review of the Secretary’s approval by inaction," Roberts wrote in the January 9, 2009, decision.

The tribe plans a 130,000 square-foot facility on its reservation in the county.

Get the Story:
Court rejects casino lawsuit (The Stockton Record 1/14)
Suit dismissed against proposed Amador County casino (The Sacramento Bee 1/14)