J.M.T. ex rel. Tracy v. Ho-Chunk Nation Office of Tribal Enrollment

10 Am. Tribal Law 8
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Trial Court
DecidedJuly 11, 2011
DocketNo. CV 11-25
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Am. Tribal Law 8 (J.M.T. ex rel. Tracy v. Ho-Chunk Nation Office of Tribal Enrollment) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
J.M.T. ex rel. Tracy v. Ho-Chunk Nation Office of Tribal Enrollment, 10 Am. Tribal Law 8 (hochunkct 2011).

Opinion

[10]*10ORDER

(Petition Denied Without Prejudice)

AMANDA L. ROCKMAN, Interim Chief Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This case concerns whether the parent, Juanita Faye Tracy, can access monies on behalf of her minor child, J.M.T., DOB 04/08/1997, from the Children’s Trust Fund (hereinafter CTF) to pay for costs associated with private school tuition. The Court employs the standard enunciated in the Per Capita Distribution Ordinance (hereinafter Per Capita Ordinance), 2 HCC § 12.8c to assess the merit of the parent’s request. The analysis and holding of the Court follow below.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The petitioner, Juanita Faye Tracy, initiated the current action by filing the March 25, 2011 Petition for Release of Per Capita Distribution (hereinafter Petition ). Consequently, the Court issued a Summons, accompanied by the above-mentioned Petition, on March 25, 2011, and served the documents upon the respondent’s representative, Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ),1 by personal service as permitted by HCN R. Civ. P. 5(C)(1). The Summon,s informed the respondent of the right to file an Answer within twenty (20) days of the issuance of the Summons pursuant to HCN R. Civ. P. 5(A)(2). The Summons also cautioned the respondent that a default judgment could result from failure to file within the prescribed time period.

The respondent, by and through DOJ Attorney Paul Rosheim, timely filed Notice and Motion to Dismiss along with Respondent’s Answer and Motion to Dismiss on April 13, 2011, asking the Court to dismiss the Petition. In response, on April 21, 2011, the Court issued an Order scheduling a Motion Hearing to allow the respondent to argue its Motion to Dismiss. On April 21, 2011, the Court issued [11]*11a Notice of Hearing to the parties informing them of the date, time, and location of the Motion Hearing. On May 10, 2011, the petitioner filed an untimely Response to Motion to Dismiss along with several attachments. The Court convened the Motion Hea.ri.ng on May 10, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. CDT. The following parties appeared at the Motion Hearing: Juanita Faye Tracy, petitioner, and DOJ Attorney Paul Rosheim, respondent’s counsel.

APPLICABLE LAW

PER CAPITA DISTRIBUTION ORDINANCE, 2 HCC§ 12

Subsec. 8. Minors and Other Legal Incompetents.

a. The interests of minors and other legally incompetent Members, otherwise entitled to receive per capita payments, shall, in lieu of payments to such minor or incompetent Member, be disbursed to a Children’s Trust Fund which shall establish a formal irrevocable legal structure for such CTFs approved by the Legislature as soon after passage of this Ordinance as shall be practical, with any amounts currently held by the Nation for passage for the benefit of minor or legally incompetent Members, and all additions thereto pending approval and establishment of such formal irrevocable structure, to be held in an account for the benefit of each such Member-beneficiary under the supervision of the Trial Court of the Nation. Trust assets of such CTFs shall be invested in a reasonable and prudent manner, which protects the principal and seeks a reasonable return.

b. Education Criterion.

(1) The trust assets each such account maintained for a minor shall be disbursed to the Member-beneficiary thereof upon the earlier of (i) said Member-beneficiary meeting the dual criteria if [sic ] (a) reaching the age of eighteen (18) and (b) producing evidence of personal acquisition of a high school diploma to the Department of Enrollment (HSED, GED or any similar substitute shall not be acceptable), or (ii) the Member reaches the age of twenty-five (25); provided that this provision shall not operate to compel disbursement of funds to Members legally determined to be incompetent. In the event a Member, upon reaching the age of eighteen (18) does not produce proof of personal acquisition of a high school diploma, such Member’s per capita funds shall be retained in the CTF account and any and all per capita distributions payable to said Member after reaching age 18 will be added to such fund and not be paid to the Member[,] and the CTF account and [sic ] shall be held on the same terms and conditions applied during the Member-beneficiary’s minority until the earliest to occur: (1) the Member produces the required diploma; (2) the Member reaches the age of twenty-five (25); or (3) the Member is deceased.

c.Funds in the CTF of a minor or legally incompetent Member may be available for the benefit of a beneficiary’s health, education, and welfare when the needs of such person are not being met from other Tribal funds or other state or federal public entitlement programs, and upon a finding of special need by the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court. In order to request such funds, the following provisions apply:

(1) A written request must be submitted to the Trial Court by the beneficiary’s parent or legal guardian detailing the purpose and needs for such funds.

(2) The parent or legal guardian shall maintain records and account to the Trial Court in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the funds disbursed were expended as required by this Ordinance and any other applicable federal law.

[12]*12(3) Any other standards, procedures, and conditions that may be subsequently adopted by the Legislature consistent with any applicable federal law shall be met.

HO-CHUNK NATION RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

Rule 5. Notice of Service of Process.

(A) Definitions.

2. Summons—The official notice to the party informing him/her that he/she is identified as a party to an action or is being sued, that an Answer is due in twenty (20) calendar days (See HCN R. Civ. P. 6) and that a Default Judgment may be entered against them if they do not file an Answer in the prescribed time. It shall also include the name and location of the Court, the case number, and the names of the parties. The Summons shall be issued by the Clerk of Court and shall be served with a copy of the filed Complaint attached.

(C) Methods of Service of Process.

1. Personal Service. The required papers are delivered to the party in person by the bailiff, or when authorized by the Court, a law enforcement officer from any jurisdiction, or any other person not a party to the action who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and of suitable discretion.

3. After the first successful service of process, the Court and the parties will then perform all written communications through regular mail at that address. Therefore, each party to an action has an affirmative duty to notify the Court.

Rule 27. The Nation as a Party.

(B) Civil Actions. When the Nation is filing a civil suit, a writ of mandamus, or the Nation is named as a party, the Coin-plaint should identify the unit of government, enterprise or name of the official or employee involved. The Complaint, in the case of an official or employee being sued, should indicate whether the official or employee is being sued in his or her individual or official capacity.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 Am. Tribal Law 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jmt-ex-rel-tracy-v-ho-chunk-nation-office-of-tribal-enrollment-hochunkct-2011.