[ad_1]
In 2021, we granted $15,000 to fund the category motion lawsuit Thunderhawk v. County of Morton, filed by Initiative for a Simply Society, Middle for Up to date Crucial Thought, at Columbia Regulation Faculty on behalf of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members. This lawsuit sought to redress the hurt brought on when the Morton County Sheriff’s Workplace closed the primary street between the Standing Rock Reservation and the town of Bismarck, which was executed to hinder pipeline protestors’ entry to the DAPL development web site.
Whereas white residents of the realm, pipeline development staff, and personal safety employed by the pipeline firm have been allowed entry to the closed parts of the freeway, members of the Standing Rock tribe have been compelled to take for much longer routes for primary facilities akin to meals and drugs. By closing the freeway, native regulation enforcement repressed the speech, meeting, and prayer of each pipeline protestors and the Standing Rock tribe members.
Thunderhawk v. County of Morton is in energetic litigation. The defendant moved to dismiss the case for numerous causes, together with a professional immunity protection. The district court docket denied the movement.
After the District of North Dakota denied the defendant’s movement to dismiss the swimsuit based mostly on certified immunity, the defendant appealed this resolution. The Eighth Circuit vacated the district court docket’s resolution with respect to the portion denying defendants’ movement to dismiss based mostly on certified immunity. The Eighth Circuit has remanded the case to the district court docket to reevaluate the certified immunity protection.
The case is at present being reevaluated by the District Courtroom of North Dakota.
