Wyandotte Wins Ruling in Casino Dispute
The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma has been favored by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson based in Topeka, in her ruling regarding a casino dispute Thursday.
Judge Robinson ruled that the National Indian Gaming Commission acted improperly when it found that the Wyandottes had no legal right to run the small casino located in siding-clad trailers adjacent to an old Masonic lodge in Kansas City, Kan.
"The court's decision appears to clear the way for the tribe to resume gaming activity on the Shriner Tract," said the tribe's attorney Conly J. Schulte, of Omaha, Neb.
"We are ecstatic. We are extremely pleased," added Schulte.
The trailers that used to house the casinos have since been removed and a chain link fencing gates the area where it used to be. The machines that the area used to hold were also confiscated when the property was seized.
The latest ruling is the third in favor of the tribe in recent months. They also won a ruling April, where the 10th District U.S. Court of Appeals three-judge panel found that the state had no authority to shut down the casino based on its being on Indian lands.
Atty. Schulte said he is still on the process of consultation with the tribe about the reopening of the casino. Other appeals are pending.
|
