Supreme Court declines to review Public Law 280 dispute

Tuesday, April 17, 2012  

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Beaulieu v. Minnesota, a Public Law 280 case.

David Beaulieu, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians, was deemed to be a "sexually dangerous person" and a "sexual psychopathic personality " under state law. The determination allows the state to remove him from the reservation and force him to undergo treatment for an indefinite duration.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the designation against Beaulieu in August 2010. Nearly a year later, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in a related case that tribal members are subject to the state's "civil commitment" laws even if they reside in Indian Country.

The decision barred Beaulieu from pursuing his case further. He asked the Supreme Court to intervene and clarify whether the state's authority is warranted under Public Law 280. but the justices, without comment, turned down the case in an order yesterday.

Related Stories:
Supreme Court asks for state reply in Public Law 280 case (02/21)
Minnesota court subjects Indian offenders to civil commitment (7/20)