California | Casino Stalker | Litigation

Graton Rancheria casino foes welcome Supreme Court decision

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Opponents of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria believe the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Salazar v. Patchak will help their cause.

The Stop the Casino 101 Coalition sued to block the Bureau of Indian Affairs from approving the tribe's land-into-trust application. In an unpublished opinion, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the group lacked standing.

But the Supreme Court's decision opens the door for more standing claims. And it allows a lawsuit long after the land-into-trust application was finalized.

“We were thrown out of court on standing three years ago. Now they have to look at the reasons why we say this site is not eligible for gaming," Chip Worthington, a pastor who is part of the anti-casino group, told KCBS.

The BIA placed the tribe's 254-acre site in trust in 2008, according to a Federal Register notice. The Supreme Court's decision would allow a lawsuit within six years.

Get the Story:
Rohnert Park Casino Faces New Legal Challenge (KCBS 6/19)
Start of construction doesn't end casino controversy (ABC Local 6/19)

Supreme Court Decision:
Salazar v. Patchak