The Cayuga Nation of New York will fight tobacco tax charges after losing a round in state court, a lawyer for the tribe said.

The tribe tied to stop Cayuga and Seneca counties from investigating its smoke shop operation. But a state Supreme Court judge said the tribe's facilities are not located on trust land and do not qualify for a reservation exemption under state law.

The tribe has a pending land-into-trust application that includes two smoke shops that were raided by county authorities. "This will be time-consuming and expensive for all involved," tribal attorney Daniel French told The Syracuse Post-Standard of appeals being planned in state and federal court.

The Oneida Nation, whose smoke shops are part of a pending land-into-trust application, weighed in on the dispute, calling Fisher's ruling flawed.

Get the Story:
Cayugas lose cigarette ruling (The Syracuse Post-Standard 12/10)
Legal ruling prompts calls for sales tax collection from Oneidas (The Utica Observer-Dispatch 12/10)
Judge rules Cayugas must tax cigarettes (The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 12/10)
Judge rules counties can continue cigarette investigation (News 10 Now 12/9)

Related Stories:
Cayuga Nation in court over raid of smokeshops (12/4)
Cayuga Nation claims 'reservation' exemption (12/2)
Cayuga Nation heads to court after smokeshop raid (12/1)
County authorities raid Cayuga Nation smoke shops (11/26)