Judge Halts Probe of Indians
A federal judge Friday turned down a request to return 52 gambling machines to the Sycuan Band of Mission Indians that were seized in a Sheriff’s Department raid.
However, U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Huff did order the sheriff’s office to preserve all the machines seized Oct. 30 and not destroy them.
Huff further ordered the Sheriff’s Department not to investigate or arrest anyone else in the gambling investigation involving the 640-acre Indian reservation near El Cajon because of jurisdictional questions.
The Sycuan Indians filed a lawsuit last week against Sheriff Jim Roache and Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller, maintaining that only federal officials have jurisdiction over gambling operations on Indian reservations.
That issue wasn’t decided Friday, but the judge told the district attorney not to proceed with the arraignment of the Sycuan’s business manager, James Trant, before Dec. 9, when federal court hearing is scheduled.
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