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Ohio tribe's lawsuit rejected

OHIO – As reported by the Independent: "A federal judge has dismissed a land-claim lawsuit by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma that could have resulted in the construction of a casino in Lawrence Township and other sites across Ohio.

"'While I am always pleased when a case settles, I desire to remain completely neutral, and to take no action that would appear to favor either the plaintiff, the settling defendants, or the State of Ohio,' U.S. District Court Judge James G. Carr wrote in his ruling, which was filed Tuesday. ;Accordingly, I decline to sign the revised proposed order due to the flaws enumerated herein.'

"Carr said that he was dismissing a series of proposed settlements hammered out between the tribe and land owners because, by approving them, it 'could be perceived as accepting and endorsing the proposition that the settlements resolve 'land claims' under the (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act).'

"…All that Carr is willing to do, he wrote, is 'retain jurisdiction' to enforce the parties' settlement agreements.

"…The tribe's ultimate goal was to reclaim the land through the lawsuit and then have it taken into trust through the U.S. Department of the Interior so it could build resort-style casinos…"

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