Kirkwood v. Ho-Chunk Nation Housing Department

5 Am. Tribal Law 151
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 2004
DocketNo. CV 03-62
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 5 Am. Tribal Law 151 (Kirkwood v. Ho-Chunk Nation Housing Department) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kirkwood v. Ho-Chunk Nation Housing Department, 5 Am. Tribal Law 151 (hochunk 2004).

Opinion

[152]*152ORDER (Granting Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss)

TODD R. MATHA, Associate Judge.

INTRODUCTION

The Court must determine whether the plaintiff may bring the instant action. The plaintiff has not identified an express waiver of the Ho-Chunk Nation’s sovereign immunity from suit. Therefore, the Court grants a dismissal in favor of the defendants on this issue.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The plaintiff, Ronald Kent Kirkwood, initiated the current action by filing a Complaint with the Court on August 14, 2003. Consequently, the Court issued a Summons accompanied by the above-mentioned Complaint on August 15, 2003, and delivered the documents by personal service to the defendants’ representative, Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ).1 The Summons informed the defendants 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 defendants that a default judgment could result from failure to file within the prescribed time period.

The defendants, by and through DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, timely filed its Answer on September 4, 2003. The Court reacted by mailing Notice(s) of Hearing to the parties, informing them of the date, time and location of the Scheduling Conference. The Court convened the Scheduling Conference on September 23, 2003 at 1:30 p.m. CDT. The following parties appeared at the Conference: Ronald Kent Kirkwood, plaintiff; Attorney James C. Ritland, plaintiffs counsel; and DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, defendants’ counsel. The Court entered the Scheduling Order on September 24, 2003, setting forth the timelines and procedures to which the parties should adhere prior to trial.

On October 30, 2003, the plaintiff filed his Amended Complaint. The defendants timely filed the Amended Answer on November 10, 2003. The defendants next filed the December 5, 2003 Motion to Dismiss accompanied by the required memorandum of law. See HCN R. Civ. P. 18. In response, the Court entered the December 8, 2003 Order (Motion Hearing). The [153]*153order informed the parties of the Court’s decision to convene a motion hearing for the purpose of entertaining the Motion to Dismiss. The order set forth the date, time and location of the Motion Hearing, which the Court scheduled in conjunction with the Pre-Trial Conference, and alerted the plaintiff to his legal rights and obligations in relation to the proceeding.

On December 17, 2003, the plaintiff filed a timely response to the defendants’ motion. Id,, Rule 19(B). The Court convened the Motion Hearing/Pre-Trial Conference on December 18, 2003 at 3:00 p.m. CST. The following parties appeared at the Hearing: Ronald Kent Kirkwood, plaintiff; Attorney James C. Ritland, plaintiffs counsel; and DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, defendants’ counsel.

APPLICABLE LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION

Art. VII—Judiciary

Sec. 5. Jurisdict ion of the Judiciary.

(a) The Trial Court shall have original jurisdiction over all cases and controversies, both criminal and civil, in law or in equity, arising under the Constitution, laws, customs and traditions of the Ho-Chunk Nation, including cases in which the Ho-Chunk Nation, or its officials and employees, shall be a party. Any such case or controversy arising within the jurisdiction of the Ho-Chunk Nation shall be filed in Trial Court before it is filed in any other court. This grant of jurisdiction by the General Council shall not be construed to be a waiver of the Nation’s sovereign immunity.

Art. X—Bill of Rights

Sec. 1. Bill of Rights.

(a) The Ho-Chunk Nation, in exercising its powers of self-government, shall not:

(8) deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without due process of law’;

Art. XII—Sovereign Immunity

Sec. 1. Immunity of Nation from Suit. The Ho-Chunk Nation shall be immune from suit except to the extent that the Legislature expressly waives its sovereign immunity, and officials or employees of the Ho-Chunk Nation acting within the scope of their duties or authority shall be immune from suit.

Sec. 2. Suit Against Officials and Employees. Officials or employees of the Ho-Chunk Nation who act beyond the scope of their duties or authority shall be subject to suit in equity only for declaratory and non-monetary injunctive relief in Tribal Court by persons subject to its jurisdiction for purposes of enforcing rights and duties established by this constitution or other applicable laws.

APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET PROCESS ACT

Sec. 3. Declaration of Policy.

c. Funds appropriated under this Act may only be used for the specific purpose for which they have been appropriated.

d. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision of this Act.

Sec. 7. Fiscal Accounting.

c. Home Ownership Program. Monies budgeted for Home Ownership Program expense commitments shall be carried over into the next fiscal year. The expense commitments are approved contracts for Elder grants, down payments, new construction, existing home purchases, refinancing, land, site development/improvements, utility extensions, and architect and engineering fees. This budgeting process [154]*154will carryover committed budget monies to the next fiscal year to enable completion/purchase of homes for tribal members. Sec. 8. Penalties,

a. Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this Act shall be fined an amount of $50,00 per day for each violation.

b. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Trial Court is hereby granted authority to order injunctive or declaratory relief against any person who violates any provision of this Act.

Sec. 9. Enforcement.

a. As legal counsel for the Nation, the Department of Justice shall prosecute all violations of this Act promptly whenever:

(1) On the basis of any information available to him or her, including receipt of information from any person, the Attorney General has reason to believe that any person is in violation of any provision of this Act; or

b. The Attorney General or his/her designee shall not exercise prosecutorial discretion.

c. The Attorney General shall make an initial determination as to whether a conflict of interests exists in his or her prosecution of violations of this Act, in writing to the Legislature, within ten (10) days after receiving information on an alleged violation as provided in paragraph 2.4.8.a, above.

d. Should the Legislature agree with the Attorney General that a conflict of interests exists, it may appoint special counsel for the purpose of prosecuting any violation of this Act. Any funds appropriated for special counsel shall be paid out of the Department of Justice annual budget.

Sec. 10. Sovereign Immunity.

a.

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Related

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6 Am. Tribal Law 320 (Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court, 2006)
Kirkwood v. Decorah
6 Am. Tribal Law 188 (Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court, 2005)
Whiteagle v. Cloud
5 Am. Tribal Law 178 (Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 Am. Tribal Law 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kirkwood-v-ho-chunk-nation-housing-department-hochunk-2004.