A federal judge has issued a mixed ruling in the lawsuit brought by members of the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Tribe itself against Mendocino and Humboldt County law enforcement officials, allowing several claims tied to alleged unconstitutional searches and property destruction to proceed while dismissing others that challenge state jurisdiction on tribal land.
In an order filed January 29, U.S. District Judge Robert M. Illston of the Northern District of California granted in part and denied in part motions to dismiss filed by Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall, Mendocino County, and California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee.
The case stems from July 22 and 23, 2024 raids on trust allotments within the Round Valley Indian Reservation. According to the First Amended Complaint, deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, assisted by other agencies including the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, allegedly entered homes and properties, destroyed cannabis plants and cultivation infrastructure, and caused significant property damage.
Plaintiffs include two grandmothers who say they cultivated cannabis for personal medicinal use under tribal law, and a rancher who alleges his family's trust land was searched and damaged without a warrant.
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