Judge Allows Suit Over Tribe Membership
A Riverside County judge refused Friday to dismiss a suit by about 130 members of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians seeking to remain in the tribe and share $10.5 million in annual revenue from the tribe’s casino, their attorney, Jon Velie, said.
The plaintiffs, who comprise about 10% of the Temecula band, say individuals on the tribe’s enrollment committee are trying to illegally increase their wealth by reducing the number of tribal members eligible for shares in the casino profits.
Tribal administrators, who are defendants in the suit, argue that the case involves an internal feud that is shielded by sovereign immunity from legal challenges in state or federal court. The defendants said they may appeal Friday’s ruling by Judge Charles D. Field.
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