Hoopa Valley Tribe v. United States

596 F.2d 435, 219 Ct. Cl. 492, 1979 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 90
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMarch 21, 1979
DocketNo. 568-77
StatusPublished
Cited by59 cases

This text of 596 F.2d 435 (Hoopa Valley Tribe v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hoopa Valley Tribe v. United States, 596 F.2d 435, 219 Ct. Cl. 492, 1979 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 90 (cc 1979).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

This case comes before the court on plaintiffs request for review by the court of the recommended decision of Trial Judge David Schwartz, filed July 13, 1978, on plaintiffs motion to retransfer the case to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and on defendant’s motion to dismiss the petition (complaint). Oral argument has been had and the court has also considered the written briefs of the parties. Since the court agrees with the recommended decision of the trial judge, as hereafter set forth, it affirms and adopts that decision, together with the following supplemental paragraphs, as the basis for its judgment in this case.

1. On the question of the jurisdiction of the District Court and of this court, we add the following to the trial judge’s discussion (which, as stated above, we adopt): As the trial judge points out, it is by now firmly established that, where the prime effort of the complaining party is to obtain money from the Federal Government, this court’s exclusive jurisdiction over non-tortious claims (above [497]*497$10,000) cannot be evaded or avoided by framing a District Court complaint to appear to seek only injunctive, mandatory, or declaratory relief against Government officials or the Federal Government. See American Science & Engineering, Inc. v. Califano, 571 F.2d 58 (1st Cir. 1978), and cases cited; Sherar v. Harless, 561 F.2d 791, 793-94 (9th Cir. 1977); Alabama Rural Fire Ins. Co. v. Naylor, 530 F.2d 1221, 1226-30 (5th Cir. 1976); International Engineering Co., Div. of A-T-O, Inc., v. Richardson, 512 F.2d 573 (D.C. Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1048 (1976); Warner v. Cox, 487 F.2d 1301 (5th Cir. 1974); Mathis v. Laird, 483 F.2d 943 (9th Cir. 1973). Here, the objective of the suit is obviously to force payment by the Government to plaintiff (and its members) of all the monies derived from the timber of the Square of the Hoopa Valley Reservation, instead of the lesser share due plaintiff (and its members) under Jessie Short v. United States, 202 Ct. Cl. 870, 486 F.2d 561 (1973), cert. denied, 416 U.S. 961 (1974). The jurisdiction of this court over this kind of suit is as clear as it was in Jessie Short, supra, and the multitude of other cases seeking payment from the Treasury of monies to one or another Indian tribe or Indian individuals.1 Conversely, under the authorities cited supra, the District Court lacks jurisdiction of this action (even though framed purely in equitable or declaratory terms) which attempts, in direct impact, to obtain these monies from the Treasury.2

2. On the merits, we agree with the trial judge (for the reasons he gives) that, with one possible exception, all of [498]*498the issues now raised by plaintiff3 were decided adversely to it in the Jessie Short litigation, and cannot now be pursued because of the doctrines of collateral estoppel and res judicata. Counts I and II of the complaint basically raise issues litigated and determined against plaintiff in Jessie Short — as Trial Judge Schwartz demonstrates.4 Plaintiff had a full and fair opportunity to litigate each of those issues before this court made its determination, and application of collateral estoppel is in no way unfair. See Parklane Hosiery Co. v. Shore, 439 U.S. 322 (1979.) The precise issue presented in Count III did not arise before this court’s first determination in Jessie Short but issues underlying and determining that particular question were litigated and decided in Short; moreover, plaintiff has been (on its own intervention) a party to all proceedings in the Trial Division since the court’s liability decision in Jessie Short, 202 Ct. Cl. 870, 486 F.2d 561 (1973), cert. denied, 416 U.S. 961 (1974), and could and should have presented, in that litigation, the apportionment problem it now seeks to raise in Count III. Cf. Restatement (Second) of Judgments § 56.1(2) ("Effect of Failure to Interpose Counterclaim”) (Tent. Draft No. 1, 1973).

The one issue now presented by plaintiff which may not have been directly litigated and decided in Short is whether the United States is liable to the Hoopa Valley Tribe because, over a period of years, the Government told the Tribe that the latter alone owned the timber of the Square and this court later determined otherwise when other Indians brought suit in the Short litigation. But that unusual contention need not detain us long. The first thing to note is that the Government fought extremely hard against the Short plaintiffs (to the extent of seeking review in the Supreme Court) and attempted as long as it reasonably could to vindicate its position that the Square timber belonged only to the Hoopa Valley Tribe (and its members). Also, it is impossible to say that the Govern[499]*499ment’s position was frivolous, insubstantial or unreasonable; indeed, plaintiff Hoopa Valley Tribe should be the last to take such a position5 since it, too, fought mightily (through different counsel) in Short for the other result and the Tribe still considers our conclusion to be wrong (as shown by other parts of plaintiffs argument in this very case). The United States, having at all times acted reasonably, cannot be convicted of breach of trust to the Hoopas because this court subsequently held that it was wrong in its belief as to sole Hoopa ownership and our ruling forced a change in distribution of the timber revenues. See United States v. Mason, 412 U.S. 391, 397-400 (1973). Plaintiffs breach-of-trust claim simply has no valid foundation.

Accordingly, on the basis of the trial judge’s opinion as supplemented above, plaintiffs motion to retransfer to the District Court is denied, the defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint (which we treat as a petition in this court) is granted, and the petition is dismissed.

OPINION OF TRIAL JUDGE

SCHWARTZ, Trial Judge:

The plaintiff, Hoopa Valley Tribe, has moved under 28 U.S.C. § 1506 (1976) to retransfer this case to the District Court for the Northern District of California, as a case within the exclusive jurisdiction of that court. On motion of the United States the district court had previously transferred the case to this court under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(c) (1976), as a case within this court’s exclusive jurisdiction. The motion has been heard, and this recommended opinion and decision is filed, pursuant to an order of reference of March 21, 1978.

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Bluebook (online)
596 F.2d 435, 219 Ct. Cl. 492, 1979 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 90, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hoopa-valley-tribe-v-united-states-cc-1979.