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Tohono O'odham Nation told to turn over casino-related documents

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Patrons waited in long lines on December 20, 2015, for the opening of the Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley in Glendale, Arizona. Photo from Facebook

A federal judge has ordered the Tohono O'odham Nation to turn over internal documents related to its pursuit of a casino in Arizona.

The documents are from tribal council meetings and the tribe cited attorney-client privilege and legislative privilege in hopes of preventing their release. But Judge David G. Campbell said the tribe didn't offer good enough reasons to keep them out of the state's hands.

The state hopes the documents will prove that the tribe pursued the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort by fraudulent means. The facility opened last December after the tribe won a series of federal court rulings affirming its right to engage in gaming on newly acquired trust lands.

The state, however, has refused to certify the facility under the Class III gaming compact so the tribe is only offering Class II games at this point. The tribe sued the state in hopes of resolving the issue and Campbell's ruling came as part of that case.

Turtle Talk has posted documents from the case, Tohono O’odham Nation v. Ducey.

Get the Story:
Judge orders tribe to show records (AP 6/23)
Tribal casino court battle going strong (Capitol Media Services 6/18)