New Mexico Supreme Court rules tribal courts have jurisdiction over casino injury and damage cases

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court says personal injury lawsuits brought against tribal casinos can no longer be heard by state courts. The decision issued Tuesday marks the end of a long battle for Native American tribes in the state to keep such claims within their own jurisdictions. The case stemmed from a 2016 claim in which a man was injured while making a delivery at Pojoaque Pueblo’s casino. Several other pueblos weighed in as the case made its way through the courts. They suggested that the jurisdictional shift eroded sovereignty. The state Supreme Court pointed to two federal court decisions that effectively terminated a provision in gambling compacts for shifting jurisdiction.