Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Winnemucca Indian Colony v. United States
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No. 2024-1108 · judgment October 16, 2025
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Questions presented
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Is the United States’ promise to provide the Winnemucca Indian Colony, a federally recognized Tribe with lands held in trust established by an Executive Order and a separate legislative act, coupled with the government’s nearly exclusive statutory and regulatory control over the water on Indian lands, sufficient to entitle an Indian tribe to money damages when the United States breaches its fiduciary duty to protect the natural resources on those Indian lands?
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Did the Federal Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, err when it affirmed dismissal of the Winnemucca Indian Colony’s third claim for relief – Breach of Trust – Water?
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Can the Winnemucca Indian Colony state a cognizable claim for breach of trust against the United States in relation to BIA failure to prevent trespass and theft of natural resources by third parties, under the Winters doctrine and 25 C.F.R. § 152.22?
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Norberto John Cisneros
Maddox & Cisneros, PLLC
For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
Case
Subject area
Civil Rights (estimated from the questions presented, in the Supreme Court Database’s categories)
Conference history
Distributed for 2 conferences
Order
Order list, October 5, 2026 · Certiorari denied
Proceedings
- Oct 05 2026Petition DENIED.
- Sep 09 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2026.
- Sep 03 2026Reply of petitioner Winnemucca Indian Colony filed.
- Aug 20 2026Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
- Jul 24 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including August 20, 2026.
- Jul 22 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 27, 2026 to August 20, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Jun 22 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 27, 2026.
- Jun 18 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 26, 2026 to July 27, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- May 27 2026Response Requested. (Due June 26, 2026)
- May 12 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/28/2026.
- May 07 2026Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Apr 08 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 13, 2026)