No. 21-749

Howard Tanner, Village of Union Springs Code Enforcement Officer, et al. v. Cayuga Nation, et al.

Lower Court: Second Circuit
Docketed: 2021-11-19
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-rights disestablishment due-process fee-lands indian-gaming-regulatory-act reservation reservation-status Sherrill-doctrine sherrill-v-oneida tribal-jurisdiction tribal-sovereignty
Latest Conference: 2022-01-07
Question Presented (from Petition)

City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of N.Y., 544 U.S. 197 (2005) prohibits New York tribes from unilaterally asserting sovereignty —"in whole or in part" —over fee lands recently purchased in open market purchases from non-Indians, even though the lands are located within the tribe's historic reservation. Equitable principles sounding in laches, acquiescence and impossibility bar assertions of tribal sovereignty 200 years after the tribe was last in possession of the lands —because to do so would disrupt settled expectations measured in generations. Under Sherrill's laches formulation, state and local governments continue to exercise plenary taxing and regulatory jurisdiction over the fee lands unless and until the federal government takes the lands into trust.

Questions presented:

1. In view of Sherrill, whether New York tribes exercise "concurrent" jurisdiction over fee lands within the plenary taxing and regulatory authority of the state and local governments, thereby enabling those tribes to engage in gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), and cause the same or greater disruptions of settled expectations condemned by this Court in Sherrill.

2. Whether fee lands under plenary state and local taxation and regulation (per Sherrill) constitute "Indian lands" under IGRA because those lands are located within the Cayugas' historic reservation.

3. Whether the Cayuga Nation's ancient reservation was disestablished.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether New York tribes exercise 'concurrent' jurisdiction over fee lands within the plenary taxing and regulatory authority of the state and local governments, thereby enabling those tribes to engage in gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), and cause the same or greater disruptions of settled expectations condemned by this Court in Sherrill

Docket Entries

2022-01-10
Petition DENIED.
2021-12-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
2021-12-17
Waiver of right of respondent Cayuga Nation, et al. to respond filed.
2021-11-17
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 20, 2021)

Attorneys

Cayuga Nation, et al.
David W. DeBruinJenner and Block, Respondent
Howard Tanner, et al.
David Henry TennantLaw Office of David Tennant PLLC, Petitioner