Judge Rejects Ione Band Challenge as Sacramento-Area Casino Nears
Posted on: January 14, 2026, 07:38h.
Last updated on: January 14, 2026, 07:38h.
- Judge denies reconsideration, leaving earlier emergency relief denial intact.
- Residents and CERA challenge federal recognition and land-into-trust approvals.
- Ruling keeps Acorn Ridge Casino project moving toward spring opening.
A federal judge in Washington D.C. has dealt a heavy blow to a last-resort legal bid to stop the Ione Band of Miwok Indians from building a $110 million casino in the city of Plymouth, Amador County.
The tribe has already begun the construction of its Acorn Ridge Casino, a “boutique” gaming venue on 228 acres of tribal trust land in Plymouth, which is scheduled to open in the spring. The tribe has endured over 18 years of legal battles to get to this point – but still needs to dodge one final challenge.
Although the tribe has already secured federal recognition and trust land approval, opponents are asking the court to overturn those decisions after the fact.
‘Unconstitutional’ Claim
Local residents, along with the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance (CERA), sued the US Department of the Interior challenging its decision to grant the tribe federal recognition, a prerequisite for operating a casino.
Recognition was granted in 1994, and in 2023 the federal government placed 228 acres of land into trust for the tribe – a process that partially removes land from state jurisdiction and grants a tribe greater autonomy to make decisions on taxation, development, land management, and gaming.
The plaintiffs argue that the federal trust relationship with Indigenous nations in general is unconstitutional and contend that the recognition decision exceeds the government’s authority under the Constitution.
They also say the proposed casino would have significant local impact, including overwhelming a narrow county road that serves as the sole access route to their homes and a commuter corridor for the city of Plymouth.
The government has rejected those claims, maintaining that federal recognition and land-into-trust decisions are grounded in longstanding law and precedent.
Motion Shot Down
On Friday, US District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan issued a brief order denying a motion for reconsideration.
The plaintiffs had argued that Interior was deliberately prolonging litigation in order to allow construction of the casino to proceed before the court could rule on the merits of their claims. They added that if the casino opened in spring, as planned, their lawsuit would effectively be moot.
The ruling leaves intact Sullivan’s December 12 decision denying the plaintiffs’ request for emergency relief that would have temporarily blocked the Interior Department’s actions while the lawsuit proceeds.
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