California | NIGC | Openings & Closings

Judge affirms state jurisdiction in Chukchansi Tribe casino case

Monday, April 13, 2015

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold, California. Photo from Facebook

A judge in California refused to dismiss charges against 15 people who were arrested in connection with an armed confrontation at the casino owned by the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians.

Judge Dale Blea affirmed the state's authority to charge the defendants, including two leaders of a disputed faction of the tribe. California falls under Public Law 280, which grants criminal and civil jurisdiction in Indian Country to the state.

"California has a right and obligation to enforce its criminal laws on tribal lands as it would anywhere else in the state,” Bea said in court on Friday, The Fresno Bee reported. “I do not find a distinction between crimes committed on tribal land and crimes committed by rival factions acting against one another.”

Tex McDonald is one of the disputed leaders charged in connection with the confrontation at the casino. Photo from Facebook

The disputed leaders -- Tex McDonald and Vernon King -- remain jailed for their roles in the dispute that led to the closure of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino last October. Along with the other defendants, they are due back in court this Friday so the judge can schedule a preliminary hearing, the Bee reported.

The 13 other defendants are non-Indians who were hired by McDonald and King to work as police officers. On October 9, 2014, they clashed with security employees at the casino, which remains under the control of a different faction.

Vernon King is another disputed leader charged in connection with the confrontation at the casino. Photo from Facebook

The next day, the National Indian Gaming Commission issued a notice of violation and a temporary closure order to the tribe. At the state's request, a federal judge also granted a permanent injunction to close the facility.

The faction led by Reggie Lewis and Nancy Ayala has been recognized as an interim council by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the NIGC. But it's not clear when the casino might reopen.

"I've heard three or four months thrown out there as the earliest, and six months to a year at the latest," Lewis told KSFN.

The tribe was supposed to hold an election on May 2 to clear the air but Lewis told the Bee last week said it has been delayed.

Get the Story:
Criminal Charges Stand in Indian Casino Fight (Courthouse News Service 4/13)
Charges against 15 Chukchansi casino raiders upheld by Madera County judge (The Fresno Bee 4/11)
Madera County judge rules Chukchansi Casino raid case will proceed (KSFN 4/10)
Charges Not Dismissed Against Defendants In Chuckchansi Raid (Your Central Valley 4/10)