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Thomas Mitchell, et al. v. Tulalip Tribes of Washington

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, No. 17-35959 · judgment October 25, 2018


Certiorari denied · June 10, 2019
Pre-decision estimate: 2% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

Does sovereign immunity bar the federal courts’ consideration of a declaratory judgment action to determine whether Respondent Tribes can exercise regulatory/taxing authority over real property owned in fee by Petitioners non-Indians, pursuant to allotments that were authorized by the Tribes’ treaty with the United States?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Catherine Wright Smith
Smith Goodfriend, P.S.

For respondent
Ian Heath Gershengorn
Jenner & Block

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 2 conferences

Proceedings

  1. Jun 10 2019
    Petition DENIED.
  2. May 23 2019
    Reply of petitioners Thomas Mitchell, et al. filed. (Distributed)
  3. May 21 2019
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/6/2019.
  4. May 06 2019
    Brief of respondent Tulalip Tribes of Washington in opposition filed.
  5. Mar 21 2019
    Motion to extend the time to file a response from April 4, 2019 to May 6, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
  6. Mar 21 2019
    Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including May 6, 2019.
  7. Mar 21 2019
    Response to motion from petitioner Thomas Mitchell, et al. filed.
  8. Mar 21 2019
    Letter in response to petitioner’s March 21, 2019 letter received.
  9. Mar 21 2019
    Letter in response to respondent's March 21, 2019 letter from petitioner Thomas Mitchell, et al. received.
  10. Mar 05 2019
    Response Requested. (Due April 4, 2019)
  11. Feb 27 2019
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/15/2019.
  12. Feb 25 2019
    Waiver of right of respondent Tulalip Tribes of Washington to respond filed.
  13. Jan 23 2019
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 27, 2019)