PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A federal judge is sending a lawsuit accusing the Narragansett Indian Tribe of reneging on $1.1 million in outstanding legal fees to be heard in tribal court.
U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith ordered that the lawsuit brought by Massachusetts lawyer Douglas J. Luckerman be heard in a Narragansett Indian tribal court. In the meantime, the lawsuit will be placed on hold in U.S. District Court.
"In sum," Smith wrote, "Luckerman reached out to the reservation by entering into a consensual relationship with the Tribe, and, accordingly, the tribal court has at least a colorable claim over suits arising from that relationship."
Smith specified, however, that the "care with which the tribal court conducts its jurisdictional analysis as well as the conclusions reached" will be subject to his review.
Luckerman sued the tribe in March, seeking unpaid legal fees plus interest and court costs. He cited agreements from 2003 and 2007 in which he agreed to provide the tribe and its historic office with legal representation following a state police raid on a tribal smoke shop.