The Three Feathers Casino federal trial has now concluded. Members of the Men’s Council of Akwesasne were indicted in late 2012 by a federal grand jury on charges of operating a casino and possessing gambling devices. A jury trial ensued in October 2013 in the Northern District Court of New York. On Thursday, December 12, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. The verdict affected two members of the men’s council. The jury also found Joseph Hight, a Class II gaming vendor from Georgia, not guilty. Hight was a gaming equipment vendor who had supplied electronic bingo equipment to the Three Feathers Casino. A third member of the Men’s Council remains at large, unaffected by the jury decision because he has not yet been served with notice of his criminal charges. A fifth defendant who withdrew from the recent trial for health reasons also may have to be prosecuted again. As this trial concluded, the relevant issue pertaining to this legal decision remains. Can Indians still make decisions for themselves on their own homeland?Get the Story:
Charles Kader: Three Feathers Casino Verdict a Victory for All Indians (Indian Country Today 12/18)
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