"Plain speaking is a rarity in the law, but the introduction to U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Conti's ruling against the Redding Rancheria in its lawsuit against the Interior Department was an admirable exception.

"This case," Conti wrote, "is about an Indian tribe's efforts to build a new casino."

For reasons of their own, Redding Rancheria lawyers and executives don't want to come and say as much. In interviews, they've stressed that no plans are final, that the Tribal Council hasn't decided to build a casino, that the attempt to put prime riverfront property near a south Redidng interchange into trust is just a way to keep options open, that the tribe faces at best a painfully long bureaucratic process before it could move forward with any plans that it did make.

Well, fine. But Judge Conti's frank take on the situation is the right one. The tribe is working toward building a new casino."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Rancheria hedges, but have no doubt: It wants a casino (The Redding Record-Searchlight 2/28)

District Court Decision:
Redding Rancheria v. Salazar (February 16, 2012)

Related Stories:
Redding Rancheria loses litigation over casino application (2/24)