The shuttered Bay Mills Indian Community casino in Vanderbilt, Michigan. Photo © Bay Mills News
The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to issue a decision in Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community, an Indian gaming case that's being closely watched across the country:
It’s not likely the High Court will issue the final word on whether the Bay Mills Indian Community can run its casino in Vanderbilt. But it’s possible justices could issue a broad ruling with implications for tribal business across the nation, says tribal law expert Matthew Fletcher. He says the court could radically change the way tribes are, or are not, shielded from lawsuits. “They could cut any way they chose and issue an opinion that is relatively broad in regards to tribal sovereignty in this area,” says Fletcher, who runs the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University. He says the result could be that tribes think twice about investing money off the reservation. “You can’t put it in your mattress,” he says. “But perhaps into overseas banks or something to that effect.”Get the Story:
Legal Watchers Anticipate Supreme Court Decision On Vanderbilt Casino (Interlochen Public Radio 5/1) Oral Arguments:
Indianz.Com SoundCloud
Relevant Documents:
Oral Argument Transcript | Supreme Court Docket Sheet No. 12-515 | Supreme Court Order List 6th Circuit Decision:
Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community (August 15, 2012)
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