The leaders of a rival faction of the
Picayune Rancheria of the
Chukchansi Indians and the law enforcement officers they hired have filed civil rights claims against Madera County, California.
Each of the 14 claims seeks more than $1 million from the county, The Fresno Bee reported.
They accuse the county of wrongful arrest and detainment in connection with a dispute at the Chukchansi Gold Resort &
Casino last October.
The county has charged 15 people -- including disputed leaders Tex McDonald and Vernon King -- for their roles in the confrontation at the casino. The judge in the case has reaffirmed the state's jurisdiction to prosecute crime in Indian Country under Public Law
280.
The defendants are due back in court this Friday to schedule preliminary hearings in their case.
Get the Story:
Defendants in Chukchansi casino raid file civil rights claims
(The Fresno Bee 4/14)
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