Sanders v. Robinson

864 F.2d 630 57 USLW 2392 Richard B. SANDERS, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. John ROBINSON, individually and as Tribal Judge of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, at Lame Deer, Montana, Defendants-Appellees, and Laura Lonebear, Defendant-Intervenor-Appellee. No. 87-4192. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Submitted Oct. 6, 1988. Decided Nov. 30, 1988. Amended Dec. 8, 1988. Richard B. Sanders, Nester, Cal., pro se. D. Michael Eakin, Montana Legal Services Ass'n, Billings, Mont., for defendant/intervenor/appellee. Calvin L. Wilson, Lame Deer, Mont., for defendants/appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Montana. Before FLETCHER, BOOCHEVER, and TROTT, Circuit Judges. FLETCHER, Circuit Judge: 1 Appellant Richard B. Sanders and defendant-intervenor Laura Lonebear were married in Montana. They resided on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Lonebear is a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe; Sanders is a non-Indian. The couple has three children, who are members of the tribe. In 1982, Lonebear filed an action for divorce in the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court. Sanders was served with process, and appeared in the…