After 12 years in the courts, it looks like the Cobell v. Kempthorne will last at least one more year as the plaintiffs pursue an appeal in the case.

Lead plaintiff Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, said she is appealing because she wants to hold the federal government accountable. She said the final ruling in the case by Judge James Robertson treats Indian beneficiaries a like "second-class citizens.”

“We definitely didn't feel like the judge's decision was one that was fair,” Cobell told The Palm Springs Desert Sun.

Robertson said the plaintiffs are owed $455.6 million for the government's failure to account for their trust funds. Cobell wants the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. to determine several outstanding issues, including whether interest is owed.

Get the Story:
Indians' suit against feds heads into its 13th year (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 9/15)

Certification for Appeal:
Cobell v. Kempthorne (September 4, 2008)

Historical Accounting Decision:
Cobell v. Kempthorne (August 7, 2008)

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