Peebles Bergin is
proud to announce a significant legal victory on behalf of its client, the
Alturas Indian Rancheria. On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior
issued formal Secretarial Procedures under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
(IGRA), authorizing the Tribe to conduct Class III gaming on its Indian lands.
This milestone
follows a federal court's determination that the State of California failed to
negotiate in good faith with the Tribe, as required by IGRA. After prevailing
in litigation before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
California, the Tribe entered the remedial process established by Congress.
When the State refused to consent to the court-appointed mediator's selection
of the Tribe's proposed compact, the Department of the Interior was legally
required to prescribe procedures enabling the Tribe to move forward.
The Secretarial
Procedures, now in effect, authorize the Tribe to operate up to 1,200 Class III
gaming devices across two gaming facilities. The National Indian Gaming
Commission will provide regulatory oversight pursuant to a Memorandum of
Understanding, filling the void left by the State's refusal to participate.
This outcome
represents a major victory for tribal sovereignty and economic
self-determination. "We are honored to have guided Alturas Indian Rancheria
through a complex and hard-fought legal process to this successful result,"
said partner Patrick R. Bergin, who led the matter alongside partners John M.
Peebles and Tim Hennessy. "The issuance of these procedures is not only a
vindication of the Tribe's legal rights under IGRA but a crucial step forward
in their long-standing efforts to build a sustainable economic future for their
community."
Peebles Bergin
Schulte & Robinson LLP is a nationally recognized law firm dedicated
exclusively to the representation of Indian tribes and tribal entities. With
deep expertise in federal Indian law, Indian gaming, economic development, and
tribal governance, the firm continues to advance tribal self-determination and
protect tribal rights across the United States.