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TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2003

A federal judge this morning will hear closing arguments in the Cobell Indian trust fund trial.

The plaintiffs, representing more than 500,000 Indian beneficiaries, and the Department of Justice, representing the Departments of Interior and Treasury, will present their final remarks to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth. The trial, which began May 1, is over plans for an historical accounting and trust reform.

Tomorrow, the House Resources Committee will hold a hearing on settling the seven-year-old case. Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff, is scheduled to testify, along with National Congress of American Indians President Tex Hall, Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey and Council of Energy Resource Tribes executive director David Lester. Associate Deputy Secretary Jim Cason is expected to represent the Department of Interior.

The House hearing begins at 2 p.m.

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

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