Judge to hold hearing on Kialegee Tribal Town casino project

Monday, May 14, 2012  

A federal judge will hold a hearing on Wednesday in a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Kialegee Tribal Town in Oklahoma from opening a casino.

The tribe already started work on the Red Clay Casino. The facility is located on an Indian allotment near Tulsa.

Attorney General Scott Pruitt claims the tribe lacks authority to engage in gaming on the site. The land is a restricted allotment owned by two members of the Muscogee Nation.

The tribe raised a sovereign immunity defense but Judge Gregory Frizzell ruled that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act waived the tribe's sovereign immunity in connection with Class III activities. The tribe has entered into a Class III gaming compact with the state.

Get the Story:
Future of Kialegee casino to be decided this week (The Tulsa World 5/14)
After months of fighting over Indian casino, dispute could be settled by a federal judge (AP 5/12)

Related Stories:
Kialegee Tribal Town continues work on controversial casino (5/8)