Lubrano v. Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects, LLP

7 Am. Tribal Law 398
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Lubrano v. Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects, LLP. Read the opinion of the Court — 7 Am. Tribal Law 392
Mohegan Gaming Disputes Trial Court·Decided August 2, 2007·No. No. GDTC-T-05-105-TBW·Published

Opinion

ARTICULATION OF DECISION ON MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF THE DEFENDANT “TUCKER MECHANICAL’’

WILSON, Judge.

I.

In a Memorandum of Decision of April 12, 2007, this court denied a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by three of the original Defendants in this action (collectively the Defendants “Tucker Mechanical”). Those Defendants asserted that the Plaintiffs action was barred by the “applicable” statute of limitations. The issue before the court was: which was, or were, the statute, or statutes of limitations applicable to this action. The Plaintiffs had asserted in their complaint that “Pursuant to Section 3 of the Mohegan Torts Code, [400]*400Ordinance 2001-07, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (sic; presumably the Plaintiffs meant this court) has jurisdiction over this action.” The Mohegan Torts Code is now codified as MTC §S 3—241 et. seq., as amended by MTO 2005-02. When the action was brought, § 3-246 of the Torts Code promulgated a 270-day period of limitations for bringing this action.1

The Plaintiffs’ action against these moving Defendants, “Tucker Mechanical” was brought within the 270-day period. The moving Defendants did not dispute that fact, but claimed that the Connecticut Statute of Repose, contained as an exception to a Connecticut statute of limitations, C.G.S. § 52-584, should be superimposed onto the Mohegan Torts Code and so construed as to bar the Plaintiffs’ action. The court held that the Connecticut Statute of Repose was in conflict with Mohegan Tribal Law and therefore was not applicable. Accordingly, the Defendants “Tucker Mechanical” were not entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law, and their motion was denied.

The Defendants’ answer to the Plaintiffs’ jurisdictional allegation regarding the applicability of the Mohegan Torts Code did not respond to this statement of a legal conclusion, but their Motion for Summary Judgment, briefs, and oral argument assumed, with the Plaintiffs, the applicability of the Torts Code.

This court noted in FN 1 of the decision that “[bjecause this court has jurisdiction under the Constitution [of The Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, Art. XIII §§ 1 and 2] and under MTC §§ 3-21 et seq. this court will also assume the applicability of the Torts Code for purposes of this Defendant’s motion.”

After the Defendants “Tucker Mechanical” appealed to the Gaming Disputes Court of Appeals, the appeals court remanded this matter to this court for further articulation of the basis of the Tribal Court’s decision as to the following issue:

“Whether the Mohegan Torts Code has any applicability to tort claims brought against non-Tribal entities.’ ”

This articulation sets forth the court’s holding that the Mohegan Torts Code is applicable to tort claims brought against non-tribal entities.

II.

The term “Mohegan Tribal Entity” as defined in the Torts Code § 3-245 “means any entity established pursuant to the Mohegan Constitution or duly-enacted Mohegan Tribal Ordinances, including but not limited to the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, without geographical limitation.” It appears from the pleadings and record in this case that none of the Defendants is a “Mohegan Tribal Entity.” The “Purpose” Section of the Torts Code, § 3-244 (to be discussed more fully hereafter) is expressly applicable to Mohegan Entities, and the question to be decided in this articulation is whether it also applies to non-tribal entities. Although the motion of the Defendant Tucker does not expressly call into question the court’s subject matter jurisdiction, the question now raised does implicate the subject matter jurisdiction of the court, so that question will be considered first.

III.

A.

Jurisdictional Facts

In paragraph one of the complaint, Plaintiff alleged “Pursuant to Section 3 of [401]*401the Mohegan Torts Code, Ordinance 2001-07 [MTC Sec. 3-243] the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (sic. Presumably, meaning this court) has jurisdiction over this action.”

The Defendant Tucker’s answer to this paragraph did not respond to this statement of a legal conclusion.

The complaint proceeds to allege that the Plaintiff, a resident of Gales Ferry, Connecticut, “was an employee of the Mohegan Sun and/or Sun International in Un-casville, Connecticut.” There is no allegation, or any evidence in the record, that the Plaintiff is a member of the Mohegan Tribe. This court takes judicial notice that the “Mohegan Sun and/or Sun International” is a Mohegan Tribal entity within the meaning of Sec. 3-245 of the Torts Code.

On or about June 15, 2004, while in the course of his employment, the Plaintiff sustained grievous personal injuries alleged to have been caused by the negligence of the Defendants, eight of whom are named in the original action.

The negligence which the Plaintiff alleges, and which the Defendants deny, arise out of the development and construction of the “Race Book” section of the Mohegan Sun Casino, a gaming facility owned and controlled by the Mohegan Tribe and the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority on the Mohegan Tribal Reservation.

The Plaintiffs “Statement of Amount in Demand” claims “damages to the maximum allowed pursuant to the Mohegan Torts Code or other applicable Tort Law.”

As the Plaintiffs employer, the Mohegan Sun and Casino intervened as an Intervening Plaintiff on or about June 9, 2005. The court will take judicial notice that the Intervening Plaintiff is a Mohegan Tribal Entity, as above defined.

It therefore appears from the record that the particular subject matter of the complaint is a tort claim, claiming damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by the negligence of the Defendants; that the particular types of Plaintiffs are a non-tribal member, an employee of a tribal entity, and his wife, and an intervening Plaintiff, a tribal entity; and that the claim is brought against a number of business organizations, none of which is a tribal entity. The court wall thus consider whether it has subject matter jurisdiction to hear this particular kind of case under, first, the Constitution of The Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut and the Ordinance establishing this court, M.T.O. 95-4, July 20, 1995, codified as MTC § 3-21 et. seq.

B.

Jurisdiction: General Principles

“Tribal authority over the activities of non-Indians on reservation land is an important part of tribal sovereignty ... Civil jurisdiction over such activities presumptively lies in the tribal courts unless affirmatively limited by a specific treaty provision or federal statute.” See, Iowa Mutual Insurance Co., v. LaPlante, 480 U.S. 9, 18, 107 S.Ct. 971, 94 L.Ed.2d 10 (1987) (citations omitted.)

A “tribes’ inherent civil adjudicative authority over on-reservation conduct of non-Indians should be presumed in the absence of countermanding statutory or treaty language.” Cohen, Federal Indian Law 232, N. 226 (2005 Ed.) (Citing Iowa Mutual Insurance Co., v. LaPlante, supra.)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Lubrano v. Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects, LLP, 7 Am. Tribal Law 398 (Mo. 2007).

7 Am. Tribal Law 398 (Lubrano v. Brennan Beer Gorman/Architects, LLP) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Iowa Mutual Insurance v. LaPlante
480 U.S. 9 (Supreme Court, 1987)
Kelly v. Stop and Shop, Inc.
918 A.2d 249 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 2007)
Kelly v. Stop & Shop, Inc.
918 A.2d 249 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 2007)
Ager v. Office of Director of Regulation
1 Am. Tribal Law 380 (Mohegan Gaming Disputes Trial Court, 1997)
Drysdale ex rel. Drysdale v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority
4 Am. Tribal Law 562 (Mohegan Gaming Disputes Trial Court, 2003)
La Plante v. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority
6 Am. Tribal Law 592 (Mohegan Gaming Disputes Trial Court, 2006)