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Appeals court won't rehear Norton contempt case
Tuesday, October 14, 2003

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday decided not to rehear the contempt case against Secretary of Interior Gale Norton.

In a one-page order, eight judges of the court announced their decision. A vote was not taken whether to hear the case, the order stated.

The panel included the three judges who lifted sanctions against Norton and former Indian affairs aide Neal McCaleb for their handling of the Indian trust fund. The panel included another three judges who dismissed a separate appeal Norton filed.

The plaintiffs had asked to reinstate contempt charges against the Department of Interior for misleading the court about efforts to fix the broken trust fund. The D.C. Circuit agreed that reports to the court were overly rosy but said Norton and McCaleb could not be punished for behaviors that occurred before their tenure.

Get the Story:
Cobell v. Norton (October 10, 2003)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

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