Judge Emmet Sullivan will hold a hearing this Friday to review the settlement in the Keepseagle case over Indian farmers and ranchers who experienced discrimination at the Department of Agriculture.

Sullivan's approval is required for the deal. It provides $680 million in damages payments to Indian farmers and ranchers and creates an 80 million loan forgiveness fund.

In advance of the hearing, attorneys for both sides submitted a joint memorandum that describes how the $680 million will be distributed. According to The Blog of Legal Times, attorneys say it will be simpler than the settlement that involved African-American farmers.

The hearing will take place at 2:30pm in Courtroom 23A of the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C.

Get the Story:
Judge: Will Claims Process in Native American Farmers' Suit Work? (The Blog of Legal Times 10/26)
Settlement reached in Native American farmer case (Agweek 10/26)
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Relevant Documents:
• Plaintiffs Press Release | Settlement | Notice Form A | Notice Form B
• Damages Award | Loan Debt Relief
• Native American Farmers and Ranchers Council | Named Plaintiffs
• President Obama Statement | USDA Press Release

Related Stories:
NPR: USDA agrees to $760M settlement for Indian farmers case (10/22)
Indian farmers reach $760M settlement for USDA discrimination (10/20)
Keepseagle won't need Congressional approval for settlement (10/19)
Justice Department reviewing settlement in Indian farmer case (10/14)
Settlement reportedly near in Indian farmer discrimination suit (10/13)
USDA loan officer in Montana was arrested for incident at Fort Peck (7/30)
No word of settlement in Indian farmers discrimination suit (5/26)
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'Nowhere close' to deal in Indian farmer discrimination suit (4/8)
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Settlement talks underway in Indian farmers lawsuit (12/9)
USDA not ready for Indian discrimination talks (9/29)
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