UConn Law professors Bethany Berger and Brendan Maher have contributed to separate amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court case Dollar General v. Mississippi Choctaw, which concerns the jurisdiction of Indian tribal courts over civil claims against non-members.
Dollar General Corporation operates a store on land held in trust for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, pursuant to a lease and business license agreement with the tribe. A 13–year-old member of the tribe sued the company and a store manager in tribal court, alleging that the manager molested him while he participated in an internship program.
The defendants filed a motion for dismissal, contending the tribal court lacked jurisdiction. After the tribal court denied the motion, the defendants filed suit in federal court, seeking injunctions to stop the case in tribal court.
