Request Denied in Pechanga Lawsuit

A Riverside County Superior Court judge Tuesday dismissed a request to prevent Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indian administrators from dropping 130 people from the tribal roster, saying he was reluctant to intervene in an internal reservation dispute.

But Judge Charles D. Field also said he “reserved jurisdiction over the case” and would take it up in his court if internal remedies failed to resolve the bitter infighting among members of one of the state’s most successful casino-operating tribes.

In a lawsuit filed last month, the plaintiffs alleged that the tribe’s enrollment committee members were trying to increase their wealth by shrinking the number of tribal members eligible for shares of casino profits. The plaintiffs were seeking a temporary restraining order against their ouster.

Although he did not grant the order, his decision to keep the case open placed enrollment committee members on notice that their actions could come under review by the court. The ruling gave hope to the 11 plaintiffs and nearly 100 supporters appearing with them in the downtown Riverside courtroom.

The targeted tribal members stand to lose their heritage, along with $10,000 a month in casino revenue payments.

After the ruling, plaintiff John Gomez Sr. said: “Per capita payments are disbursed on Friday. If we don’t get them, I guess we’ll know that we’re not considered tribal members anymore.”

The seven enrollment committee members declined to be interviewed.

Tribal leaders and their attorneys declined to discuss the merits of the case. They say the tribe’s sovereignty protects the enrollment dispute from review in state or federal court.