Supreme Court of California

In a case involving the doctrine of tribal sovereign immunity, the court finds that California, through its Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), may file a lawsuit against a federally recognized Indian tribe for the tribe's alleged failure to comply with the reporting requirements for campaign contributions under the Political Reform Act, an initiative measure that regulates numerous aspects of the election process on the state and local level.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/21/2006
• Published 12/21/2006

Judges

• CHIN, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Reed Smith Crosby Heafey,Reed Smith, Bernard P. Simons, James C. Martin, Kathy M. Banke, George P. Schiavelli, Denise M. Howell, Los Angeles;  Law Offices of Art Bunce, Art Bunce, Kathryn Clenney, Escondido;  Reed & Davidson, Dana W. Reed and Darryl R. Wold, Irvine, for Petitioner., Roxborough, Pomerance & Nye, Nicholas P. Roxborough, Woodland Hills, and Vincent S. Gannuscio, for Blue Lake Rancheria and Mainstay Business Solutions as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Holland & Knight, Jerome L. Levine, Frank R. Lawrence and Zehava Zevit, Los Angeles, for Robert Anderson, Carole Goldberg, John LaVelle, Nell Jessup Newton, Judith Royster, Joseph Singer and Rennard Strickland as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Carole Goldberg and Jay Shapiro for UCLA Native American Law Students Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., Daniel F. Decker;  Lang, Richert & Patch, Fresno, Val W. Saldãna, Laurie L. Quigley and David T. Richards, Arroyo Grande, for Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioners., John M. Appelbaum, Steven Benito Russo, Placerville, Luisa Menchaca, Sacramento, William L. Williams, Jr., C. Scott Tocher, Holly B. Armstrong;  Riegels Campos & Kenyon and Charity Kenyon, Sacramento, for Real Party in Interest., Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, Heller Ehrman, John C. Ulin, D. Eric Shapland, Los Angeles, and Gary Ostrick, for California Common Cause as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Manuel M. Mederios, State Solicitor General, Andrea Lyn Hoch, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Louis R. Mauro and Robert L. Mukai, Assistant Attorneys General, Kenneth R. Williams, Robert C. Nash, Sara J. Drake and Marc A. Le Forestier, Deputy Attorneys General, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.