McGee v. Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc.

5 Am. Tribal Law 75
CourtGrand Ronde Tribal Court
DecidedJanuary 29, 2004
DocketNo. C-03-09-002
StatusPublished

This text of 5 Am. Tribal Law 75 (McGee v. Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Grand Ronde Tribal Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGee v. Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc., 5 Am. Tribal Law 75 (grrondect 2004).

Opinion

ORDER AND OPINION FOLLOWING PRE-HEARING CONFERENCE

EDMUND CLAY GOODMAN, Acting Judge.

BACKGROUND

Pursuant to the Grand Ronde Employment Action Review Ordinance, Tribal Code § 255.5, Petitioner seeks judicial review of the Final Employment Decision issued by Spirit Mountain Casino to terminate his employment involuntarily, naming both Spirit Mountain Gaming, Inc., and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon as party respondents in this matter. The parties have presented several preliminary motions to the Court that require resolution prior to establishing the schedule for briefing and oral arguments on the merits.

The parties have had the opportunity to brief the issues raised in these several motions. The Court, having reviewed the briefs, has determined that the briefs have fully addressed the relevant issues and that oral argument would not aid in the disposition of the matters addressed, with one exception discussed below.

ISSUES PRESENTED

1. Pursuant to a motion filed by Respondent Spirit Mountain Gaming, the Court issued a protective order regarding surveillance videotapes that are part of the record in this case. Order Granting Motion for Protective Order, October 16, 2003. Petitioner, with leave of the Court, filed an objection to that protective order. Petitioner’s objection is denied and the protective order remains in full force and effect.

2. Respondent filed a Motion to Dismiss the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon as a party respondent to this case. That motion is granted.

3. Respondent moved to supplement the record in this case with a number of additional materials. The Court has determined that oral argument would be useful to aid the Court in resolving the issues [78]*78presented, and has set oral argument on this matter for Friday, February 6, 2004, at 3:15 PM.

4. Respondent moved to “expedite” the hearings in this ease. The Court has determined that it will entertain additional argument on this issue at the oral argument set for February 6, 2004.

5. On January 9, 2004, Petitioner and his wife tiled for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Oregon. Petitioner informed the Court and Respondent of this filing on January 21, 2004. Petitioner’s attorney inquired of the Court as to whether the “automatic stay” provisions of the federal bankruptcy code, 11 U.S.C. § 362, applied to stay this case from proceeding. The Court has determined that the automatic stay does not apply to this case.

ANALYSIS

1. Does Bankruptcy Code Automatic Stay Apply to this Case?

If the Bankruptcy Code automatic stay applies to this case, no further proceedings may occur. Proceedings subsequent to a stay that are in violation of the stay are void ab initio. In re Gruntz, 202 F.3d 1074, 1082 n. 6 (9th Cir.1999). It is therefore necessary, before moving to resolution of the other issues presented, that the Court determine whether the stay applies to these proceedings.

Although the U.S. Bankruptcy Court is the only court with jurisdiction to modify the terms of an automatic stay, Noli v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 860 F.2d 1521, 1525 (9th Cir.1988), “[t]he court in which the litigation claimed to be stayed is pending has jurisdiction to determine not only its own jurisdiction but also the more precise question whether the proceeding pending before it is subject to the automatic stay.” Erti v. Paine Webber Jackson & Curtis, 765 F.2d 343, (2d Cir.1985). See also SEC v. First Financial Group of Texas, 645 F.2d 429, 436-40 (5th Cir.1981). This Court thus has the authority to determine whether the automatic stay applies to the present case.

Without addressing the question of whether the Bankruptcy Court stay would apply to any proceeding in a tribal court, the Court determines that the express terms of the automatic stay set out in 11 U.S.C. § 362 do not apply to proceedings of the present sort, no matter what the forum. The automatic stay provision, reads as follows:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a petition filed under section 301, 302, or 303 of this title, or an application filed under section 5(a)(3) of the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, operates as a stay, applicable to all entities, of—
(1) the commencement or continuation, including the issuance or employment of process, of a judicial, administrative, or other action or proceeding against the debtor that was or could have been commenced before the commencement of the case under this title, or to recover a claim against the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title;
(2) the enforcement, against the debtor or against property of the estate, of a judgment obtained before the commencement of the case under this title;
(3) any act to obtain possession of property of the estate or of property from the estate or to exercise control over property of the estate;
(4) any act to create, perfect, or enforce any lien against property of the estate;
(5) ¿ny act to create, perfect, or enforce against property of the debtor any lien to the extent that such lien secures a [79]*79claim that arose before the commencement of the case under this title;
(6) any act to collect, assess, or recover a claim against the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title;
(7) the setoff of any debt owing to the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title against any claim against the debtor; and
(8) the commencement or continuation of a proceeding before the United States Tax Court concerning the debtor.

11 U.S.C. § 362(a). From the express terms of the statute, it is clear that the automatic stay does not apply to any and all legal proceedings involving the bankruptcy debtor. Rather, the automatic stay applies to only those proceedings that are filed against the debtor, his estate or his property and assets. The purpose is clear: to protect the property and assets of the bankruptcy debtor during the course of the proceedings so that the bankruptcy creditors receive their share of the property and assets according to the prioritization provisions of the Bankruptcy Code.

The present case is not a case brought against Petitioner, his estate, his assets or property. Rather, it is a case brought by the Petitioner seeking to overturn what he alleges is a wrongful termination of employment.

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Bluebook (online)
5 Am. Tribal Law 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgee-v-spirit-mountain-gaming-inc-grrondect-2004.