An attorney for the Cobell v. Norton trust fund lawsuit said an appeals court ruling in their favor is expected by the end of the year.

Keith Harper of the Native American Rights Fund predicted that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals would affirm Judge Royce Lamberth's order to complete an accounting of the trust by 2008 and reform the trust system. He made his comments at the University of Michigan.

The Bush administration challenged Lamberth's order as overly broad. The Interior Department obtained a stay of the order pending the appeal.

The D.C. Circuit heard the appeal in September. The judges questioned parts of the order but were critical of the lack of progress in the case over the last five years and of a rider that halted the accounting for a year.

Get the Story:
Native American fund may be reformed (The Michigan Daily 11/10)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

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