Mohegan Tribe immune in state court over eatery at casino

Thursday, June 27, 2013
Filed Under: Business Deals | Connecticut | Litigation | Openings and Closing
More on: immunity, mohegan, tribal courts

A screenshot of the shuttered Big Bubba's BBQ at Mohegan Sun.

The Mohegan Tribe can't be sued in state court over a dispute at its casino, a judge for the Connecticut Superior Court ruled last month.

In a lease, the tribe agreed to waive immunity in “any court of competent jurisdiction." However, the lease states that disputes "shall be shall be governed by the law of the tribe."

That means Big Bubba's BBQ will have to go to tribal court. The eatery was locked out of its establishment at the Mohegan Sun last year but its Twitter feed hasn't been updated since October 2012 even as its website offers a hopeful note: "We are temporarily closed for updates… We’ll be back soon!"

Get the Story:
Big Bubba Lawsuit Bumped by Mohegan’s Sovereign Immunity (Indian Country Today 6/25)

Connecticut Superior Court Decision:
BBQ LLC v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (May 23, 2013)