Oglala Sioux Tribe Chief Judge Patrick Lee
Tribal Judges Reinstated:
Council Dismisses complaints from tribal members
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Staff Writer OGLALA – Two judges that had been suspended without pay by the tribal council got relief last week. The OST tribal council voted on Tuesday, Jan 22 to reinstate Chief Judge Patrick Lee and Associate Judge Fred Cedar Face who were both under suspension after the council accepted multiple formal complaints against each. After first sorting out a number of constitutional issues the Oglala Sioux Tribal council entered in to an executive session where they discussed the merit of the complaints against Judge Fred Cedar Face. After emerging from the short session the council voted unanimously to dismiss a complaint from tribal member Joe Morrisette. However the council then voted to uphold the complaint of tribal member John Bad Wound that asserted that an ex parte action taken by Judge Cedar Face was illegal. The council voted 10-4 with one not voting to formally reprimand Cedar Face for the action. The council determined that the time served by Judge Cedar Face without pay was sufficient punishment for the action and moved to reinstate him immediately. The council then entered a second to executive session to discuss the complaints filed against Chief Judge Patrick Lee. Earlier in the day Betty Goings who filed one of the initial complaints against Judge Lee informed Native Sun News of why she felt her complaints should be upheld. “I feel that he (Lee) violated my civil rights my legal rights and my spiritual rights,” said Goings. “He is overstepping his boundaries and mixing his administrative duties with judicial duties and that is wrong. I am asking for his immediate removal,” she added. The council however voted to dismiss the complaints by a vote of 9-5 with one not voting. The council also voted to reimburse Judge Lee for the salary that had been withheld from him during his suspension after the motion was introduced by Garfield Steel. The meeting was chaired by Bryan Brewer who is still recovering from injuries he sustained in a car accident late last year. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News www.nsweekly.com
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