White Wing v. Ho-Chunk Nation General Council ex rel. Cloud

5 Am. Tribal Law 197
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 2004
DocketNo. CV 04-99
StatusPublished

This text of 5 Am. Tribal Law 197 (White Wing v. Ho-Chunk Nation General Council ex rel. Cloud) 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
White Wing v. Ho-Chunk Nation General Council ex rel. Cloud, 5 Am. Tribal Law 197 (hochunk 2004).

Opinion

[199]*199ORDER (Granting Preliminary Injunction)

WILLIAM BOSSMAN, Chief Judge.

INTRODUCTION

On October 23, 2004, the Ho-Chunk Nation General Council enacted General Council Resolution 25 providing for the removal of the plaintiff from his office as a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation Legislature.1 The plaintiff seeks a Preliminary Injunction to enjoin the defendants from acting in furtherance of the General Council resolution. The Court grants the request for a Preliminary Injunction.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The plaintiff filed his Complaint on November 1, 2004. Consequently, the Court issued a Summons accompanied by the above-mentioned pleading on November 1, 2004, and delivered the documents by personal service to the governmental defendants’ representative, Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice (hereinafter DOJ).2 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, filed their Defendants’ Brief in Opposition to Preliminary Injunction & Emergency Temporary Injunction on November 15, 2004.

The Court convened the Preliminary Injunction Hearing on November 16, 2004 at 3:00 P.M. CST. The following parties appeared at the Preliminary Injunction Hearing: Dallas White Wing, the plaintiff, together with his attorney, Glenn C. Reynolds; DOJ Attorney Wendi A. Huling, the legislative and election board defendants’ counsel; Michael P. Mullins, Sr., attorney for Ho-Chunk Nation General Council and for Alvin Cloud in his official capacity as Acting Chair of the General Council, and Judy Whitehorse-Hillmer, in her official capacity as Secretary of the General Council.

APPLICABLE LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION

ARTICLE III—ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

Section 1. Sovereignty. The Ho-Chunk Nation possesses inherent sovereign powers by virtue of self-government and democracy.

Section 2. Branches of Government. The government of the Ho-Chunk Nation shall be composed of four (4) branches: General Council, Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

Section 3. Separation of Functions. No branch of the government shall exercise [200]*200the powers and functions delegated to another branch.

Section 4. Supremacy Clause. This Constitution shall be the supreme law over all territory and persons within the jurisdiction of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

ARTICLE IV—GENERAL COUNCIL

Section 1. Powers of the General Council. The People of the Ho-Chunk Nation hereby grant all inherent sovereign powers to the General Council. All eligible voters of the Ho-Chunk Nation are entitled to participate in General Council.

Section 2. Delegation of Authority. The General Council hereby authorizes the legislative branch to make laws and appropriate funds in accordance with Article VI. The General Council hereby authorizes the judicial branch to interpret and apply the laws and Constitution of the Nation in accordance with Article VII.

Section 3. Powers Retained by the General Council.

a. The General Council retains the power to set policy for the Nation.
b. The General Council retains the power to review and reverse actions of the Legislature except those enumerated in Section 4 of this Article. The General Council shall return such reversals to the Legislature for reconsideration consistent with the action of the General Council. The General Council retains the power to review and reverse decisions of the Judiciary which interpret actions of the Legislature. The General Council does not retain the power to review and reverse decisions of the Judiciary which interpret this Constitution.
c. The General Council retains the power to propose amendments in accordance with Article XIII, including those which reverse decisions of the Judiciary interpreting this Constitution.
d. The General Council retains the power to establish its own procedures in accordance with this Constitution.
e. The General Council retains the power to call a Special Election.
f. Actions by the General Council shall be binding.

Section 4. Excepted Poioers. The General Council does not retain the power to review actions relating to the hiring or firing of personnel.

Section 5. Annual Meetings. The People shall meet in General Council at least one time each year, which shall be called by the President, and at other times as provided in Section 6 of this Article. Notice shall be provided by the President for all Annual Meetings of the General Council.

Section 6. Special Meetings. Special Meetings of the General Council shall be called by the President upon petition by twenty (20) percent of the eligible voters, or upon written request of a majority of the Legislature, or when deemed necessary by the President. Notice shall be provided by the President for all Special Meetings of the General Council.

Section 7. Procedures. Twenty (20) percent of the eligible voters of the Nation present in General Council shall constitute a quorum. Each action of the General Council shall require the presence of a quorum. The President shall call all Annual and Special General Council Meetings, except those meetings called pursuant to Article IX, Section 2. When a quorum is attained, the General Council shall elect either the President or another person to conduct the meeting. A secretary shall be appointed to record the minutes of all General Council meetings, including [201]*201any votes taken. The secretary shall transmit the minutes of General Council meetings to the Legislature.

ARTICLE VII—JUDICIARY

Section 5. Jurisdiction 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.

Section 6. Powers of the Tribal Court.

a. The Trial Court shall have the power to make findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Trial Court shall have the power to issue all remedies in law and in equity including injunctive and declaratory relief and all writs including attachment and mandamus.
b.

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Bluebook (online)
5 Am. Tribal Law 197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-wing-v-ho-chunk-nation-general-council-ex-rel-cloud-hochunk-2004.