Cobell settlement payments face delay despite speedy appeal

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to expedite challenges to the $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit.

But it still could be months before payments are distributed. The court might hear the case as early as January 2012, The Blog of Legal Times reports, meaning Indian beneficiaries won't get their money before Christmas as had been anticipated.

Kimberly Craven, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, has filed a timely appeal. She has been a vocal critic of the settlement although she did not opt out of it.

Get the Story:
Court To Expedite Appeal In $3.4B Class Action Settlement (The Blog of Legal Times 9/14)

Relevant Documents:
Order Granting Final Approval To Settlement | Exhibit A and Exhibit B

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