Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Court
Program Description
1) The Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Courts primary function is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana by applying the Code of Civil Procedure.
2) The Tribal Court provides service to all Tribal Members living on/off the reservation as well as Paragon’s employees and guest. Tribal Court is where all civil suits are filed when an incident occurs on Tribal property. The Tribal Court Clerk’s office maintains all records. All workers compensation claims from Paragon and the Tribal officers are filed in Tribal Court. All contractual claims where the Tribe is a party to the contract. Any and all suits that are against the Tribe. The Court provides service to businesses who file garnishment against Paragon’s employees and members of the Tribe. The Court can also rule on criminal matters when the crime is Native American vs. Native American. Lastly, the court can make rulings on housing issues, juvenile matters as they arise, property issues for Tribal members, estate issues and on issues of interpretation of the Tribal Constitution, Ordinances and Resolutions.
3) The Tribal Court provides service to all departments on the reservation and also to Paragon Casino resort. All civil suits are filed through Tribal Court. All citations/subpoenas to be served at Paragon Casino or on the reservation come through Tribal Court to be processed before being forwarded to Tribal Police for service.
4) The Court works with various police departments throughout the state of Louisiana to have them serve documents regarding cases filed in Tribal Court. Almost daily we have other municipalities assist in serving subpoenas/citations to individuals who live outside our service area. On the flip side the court receives several documents a week which has to be processed and served to individuals who reside/work on reservation as well as employees of Paragon Casino.
5) The Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Court as gatekeeper to the Tribal Sovereignty is a vital department within the Tribes infrastructure. By having a functioning court system in place the Tribe maintains a level of sovereignty that could not be maintained if the court was not in place.
Tribal Court Judge – Robert Johnson
Clerk of Court – Christy Smith
Tribal Prosecutor – Maria Losavio
Chief Appellate Judge – Vacant
Appellate Judge – Anne Simon
Appellate Judge – Scott Brame