Cobell historical accounting trial starts October 10

Monday, October 1, 2007  

The trial into the historical accounting of the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust begins next Wednesday, October 10, in Washington, D.C.

The Cobell case was filed in June 1996 to find out much money IIM beneficiaries have or haven't been paid. More than 10 years later, Judge James Robertson wants the Interior Department to show what it has been doing to fulfill its trust duties.

Among the issues to be considered at the open-ended trial:

• Whether the government has cured the breaches of their fiduciary duty that were identified back in December 1999;
• Whether the government's historical accounting plans satisfy statutory and common trust law;
• Whether the government has "unreasonably delayed" the accounting;
• What "further relief" might be available to the plaintiffs.

The trial takes place in Courtroom 23A of the federal district courthouse. It is expected to start every day at 9:30am and end at 5pm.

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

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