The attorney representing Roosevelt City in the Poulson case has offered a different perspective than that offered in the Ute Tribe press release issued last week on the case. On January 25th, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah denied a motion by Roosevelt City to set a contempt hearing against the Ute Indian Tribe. This ruling, however, was “a prerequisite,” says attorney Jesse Trentadue, “to bringing suit against the Ute Tribal Court and Tribal Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Utah to enjoin the Tribal Court lawsuit against the Roosevelt City Attorney, Grant Charles.” Following the January 25th decision, the Tribal Business Committee issued a statement that the Tribe now expects that “having now lost on this issue twice before two different judges, the State and its subdivisions will not risk sanctions by repeating the argument a third time.” Trentadue counters that point of view, however, stating that “we have done this before in cases in which the Ute Tribal Court attempted to hear cases brought against local government officials such as county commissioners, judges and law enforcement officers. In each instance,” explains Trentadue, “the United States District Court has enjoined those Ute Tribal Court lawsuits.”
