Morris
Morris v. Tanner
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM *
Plaintiff-appellant Thomas Lee Morris (“Morris”), by and through his guardians and natural parents, Elizabeth S. Morris and Ronald J. Morris, Sr., brings this declaratory and injunctive relief action challenging the constitutionality of the 1990 amendments to the Indian Civil Rights Act (“IGRA”) (hereinafter referred to as the “1990 amendments” or the “1990 ICRA amendments”).
Morris is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota. He is not a member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation (the “Confederated Tribes”). On June 13, 1999, Morris was driving a car near Ronan, Montana, within the territory of the Confederated Tribes, when a Ronan City Police officer cited Morris for speeding and ordered him to appear in the Flathead Reservation Tribal Court (“Tribal Court”). Morris appeared in the Tribal Court, en *654 tered a plea of not guilty, and filed a motion to dismiss the complaint against him. His motion was denied by the defendant, Judge Tanner, of the Confederated Tribes.
Morris next filed the present action in federal district court, seeking a declaration that the Confederated Tribes…