Turtle Mountain Tribal Court of Appeals to hear arguments at Law School

The Turtle Mountain Tribal Court of Appeals will hear two oral arguments at the School of Law Baker Courtroom on Friday, Sept. 23.  The events are free and open to the public.

11:15 a.m., oral argument – Davis v. Poitra and Malatarre v. Belcourt School District – involving the issue of whether the Turtle Mountain Tribal Court can exercise jurisdiction over a suit brought by a Turtle Mountain member against a state grant school located on the reservation for violation of Indian-preference in employment ordinances enacted by the Tribe.

1:15 p.m., oral argument – Baukol Builders v. Davis Masonry – involves the issue of whether the Tribal Court erred in granting a default judgment to an Indian contractor against a non-Indian for work performed on the Turtle Mountain reservation. This case also involves the issue of tribal civil jurisdiction.

The Turtle Mountain Tribal Court of Appeals is the highest appellate court of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and is located in Belcourt. The court will hold its regular quarterly session during its visit to the School of Law, and will review approximately 20 cases in addition to hearing the two oral arguments. The Court handles approximately 100 appeals per year ranging from family law disputes to personal injury disputes, with a high number of the Court’s cases pertaining to its jurisdiction, especially in the civil arena.