Jeff

Elizabeth Jeff (Jeff) appeals from a judgment in the amount of $2,500 in favor of the County of Inyo and the County of Inyo on behalf of Ann Marie Jeff (her child), a minor.

Facts and Procedural History

The plaintiff filed a complaint in the Inyo County Superior Court seeking reimbursement for child support for the minor Ann Marie Jeff. After service of the complaint, Jeff filed a motion to dismiss which alleged that the courts of California have no jurisdiction to order an Indian residing on a reservation to reimburse Inyo County (hereafter Inyo), a political subdivision of the state of California, for child support. The parties submitted the case to the trial court on declarations and the written argument of counsel. The trial court’s record does not include a transcript of any oral testimony or argument. The trial court denied the motion to dismiss and entered judgment for Inyo. On Jeff’s motion, the trial court reconsidered its decision, but later denied the motion.

The facts are not in dispute. Jeff is a member of the Bishop Paiute/Shoshone Tribe, a federally recognized Indian tribe. At the time Inyo filed its complaint, the minor resided with her maternal…