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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

IN AND FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Sunburst Minerals, LLC, an Arizona 

limited liability company,

 Plaintiff/Counter-defendant,

vs.

Emerald Copper Corp., a Colorado 

corporation; Fictitious Defendants 1-50 

who may have an interest in the present 

matter,

 Defendants/Counterclaimant,

NO. 3:15-cv-08274-JWS

JUDGMENT AGAINST EMERALD 

COPPER CORP.

THIS MATTER was tried to the Court on November 13 and 14, 2018, and the Court 

filed an Order and Opinion at Doc. No. 198 on February 4, 2019. The Court also entered 

pre-trial orders at Doc. Nos. 112, 127, and 136 which narrowed the issues for trial. The 

applicable portions of those rulings are incorporated herein. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff and Counter-defendant, Sunburst Minerals, 

LLC (“Sunburst”), pursuant to the Court’s Order and Opinion filed on September 25, 2017, 

at Doc. No. 112, the Order and Opinion filed on October 25, 2017, at Doc. No. 127, and the 

Order and Opinion filed on February 4, 2019, at Doc. No. 198, is granted judgment in its 

favor as to both counts of its complaint, and both counts of Defendant and 

Case 3:15-cv-08274-JWS Document 217 Filed 03/27/19 Page 1 of 7
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Counterclaimant’s, Emerald Copper Corp. (“Emerald Copper”) countercomplaint, with 

regard to the unpatented mining claims and mill sites held by Sunburst (collectively the 

“Sunburst Claims”) as follows:

1. The Court declares that the following Sunburst Claims (the “Valid Sunburst 

Claims”) were staked in conformity with applicable state and federal law and are valid 

unpatented mining claims and mill sites: 

a. The Sunburst Historic Claims: 

Claim Name

Mohave County 

Recorder’s Book/Page; 

Fee No.

BLM AMC Number

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 1 84/399-400 105792

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 2 84/401-402 105793

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 3 84/403-404 105794

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 4 84/405-406 105795

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 5 84/407-408 105796

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 6 84/409-410 105797

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 7 84/411-412 105798

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 8 84/413-414 105799

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 10 84/417-418 105801

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 11 84/419-420 105802

Copper Hill Mill Site No. 12 84/421-422 105803

Hermes Mill Site No. 13 84/423-424 105804

Copper Hill Mill No. 1 Mill 

Site 14

84/425-426 105805

Copper Hill Mill No. 1 Mill 

Site No. 15

84/427-428 105806

Copper Hill No. 2 WW/151 (Amended

6-A/55-56)

105785

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Hermes Y/463 (Amended 6-A/61-

62)

105786

Hermes No. 2 AA/191 

(Amended 6-A/63-64)

105787

Jimtown Copper No. 1 KK/546 (Amended 6-A/57-

58)

105788

Valley Copper No. 1 6-A/50 105789

Valley Copper No. 2 5-I/25 105790

Valley Copper No. 3 6-C/118-119 105791

Emerald No. 1 2706/457-458 339597

Emerald No. 2 2722/782-783 339598

FDR 7006/755 386617

b. Sunburst 2004 Claims1

Claim Name

Mohave County 

Recorder’s Book/Page; 

Fee No.

BLM AMC Number

Emerald 5 5282/274 (Amended 

2016040406)

364265

Emerald 6 5282/275 364266

Emerald 7 5282/276 (Amended 

2016040407)

364267

Emerald 8 5282/277 364268

Emerald 9 5282/278 (Amended 

2016040408)

364269

Emerald 10 5282/279 364270

Emerald 11 5282/280 364271

Emerald 12 5282/281 364272

Emerald 13 5282/282 364273

 1 The validity of Emerald 31 was not discussed in the Order and Opinion at Doc. No. 198, 

however Sunburst conceded that Emerald 31 was invalid based on the trial testimony of T. 

Robert Breen and as such Emerald 31 is not included in the judgment as a valid claim. 

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Emerald 14 5282/283 364274

Emerald 15 5282/284 364275

Emerald 16 5282/285 364276

Emerald 17 5282/286 364277

Emerald 18 5282/287 364278

Emerald 19 5282/288 364279

Emerald 20 5282/289 364280

Emerald #21 5349/445-446 364620

Emerald #22 5349/447-448 364621

Emerald #30 5349/463-464 364622

Emerald #43 5349/489-490 364624

Emerald 44 5349/491-492 364625

c. Sunburst 2016 Claims

Claim Name

Mohave County 

Recorder’s Book/Page; 

Fee No.

BLM AMC Number

Emerald 40 2016040409 439436

2. Emerald Copper did not establish that any of the Valid Sunburst Claims are 

oversized and the Court finds that the Block Claims (Emerald 5-20) are not oversized and 

therefore no gaps exist between the claims.

3. Emerald Copper has no interest of any kind in the Valid Sunburst Claims.

4. Sunburst is the sole record title owner of the Valid Sunburst Claims.

5. Emerald Copper is barred and forever enjoined from asserting any interest, 

lien or claim whatever in the Valid Sunburst Claims.

6. The following unpatented mining claims claimed by Sunburst are invalid: 

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Claim Name

Mohave County 

Recorder’s Book/Page; 

Fee No.

BLM AMC Number

Emerald 2B 2016040403 439433

Emerald 3A 2016040404 439434

Emerald 4A 2016040405 439435

 Emerald 31 5349/465-466 364623

Emerald 41 2016040410 439437

 Emerald #45 5349/493-494 364626

7. The following unpatented mining claims claimed by Emerald Copper, and 

referenced in Emerald Copper’s Answer to Second Amended Complaint and 

Counterclaims, at Doc. No. 46 (the “Emerald Copper Claims”), are junior to the Sunburst 

Claims. All such claims are invalid to the extent that they overlap the Valid Sunburst 

Claims. Further, any Emerald Copper Claim that was located in a manner such that its 

location monument was placed on one of the Valid Sunburst Claims is also invalid. The 

Emerald Copper Claims referenced in this paragraph are: 

 Name of Claim Bk/Pg Reception No Twnshp/Range/Sec. BLM Serial No 

BT 3 2012054160 23N / 18W / 26 AMC 418088

BT 4 2012054161 23N / 18W / 27 AMC 418089

BT 5 2012054162 23N / 18W / 26 AMC 418090

BT 6 2012054163 23N / 18W / 27 AMC 418091

BT 7 2012054164 23N / 18W / 23 and AMC 418092

BT 8 2012054165 23N / 18W / 22 and AMC 418093

BT 9 2012054166 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418094

BT 10 2012054167 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418095

BT 11 2012054168 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418096

BT 12 2012054169 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418097

BT 13 2012054170 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418098

BT 14 2012054171 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418099

BT 15 2012054172 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418100

BT 16 2012054173 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418101

BT 17 2012054174 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418102

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BT 18 2012054175 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418103

BT 19 2012054176 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418104

BT 20 2012054177 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418105

BT 21 2012054178 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418106

BT 22 2012054179 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418107

BT 23 2012054180 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418108

BT 24 2012054181 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418109

BT 25 2012054182 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418110

BT 26 2012054183 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418111

BT 27 2012054184 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418112

JLR 1 2012054189 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418114

JLR 3 2012054191 23N / 18W / 23 AMC 418116

JLR 5 2012054193 23N / 18W / 22 and AMC 418118

JLR 7 2012054195 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418120

JLR 13 2012054201 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418126

YJBS 37 2012054186 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418136

YJBS 38 2012054187 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 418137

BD 1 2015006925 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 430498

BD 2 2015006923 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 430499

BD 3 2015006924 23N / 18W / 22 AMC 430500

BD 4 2015006926 23N / 18W / 22 and AMC 430501

BD 5 2015006927 23N / 18W / 22 and AMC 430502

BT 2C 23N / 18W / 26 and 

BT 3C 23N / 18W / 

22,23,26

BT 4C 23N / 18W / 26 and 

BT 5C 23N / 18W / 22 and 

8. Emerald Copper, as admitted in the Joint Statement of Uncontested Facts filed 

by Sunburst and Emerald Copper, elected to cease maintaining the YJBS 39 unpatented 

mining claim. The YJBS 39 unpatented claim was declared void ab intio pursuant to a 

Bureau of Land Management decision dated June 10, 2013. Therefore, the YJBS 39

unpatented mining claim is invalid.

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9. Any unpatented mining claims, and portions of said claims, whether listed 

above or not, currently held or claimed by Emerald Copper that overstake the Valid 

Sunburst Claims are deemed invalid. 

10. By overstaking the Valid Sunburst Claims and by preventing Sunburst from 

accessing its claims, Emerald Copper has committed trespass. Sunburst is entitled to 

nominal damages in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00).

11. Emerald Copper, and its agents and affiliates, are ordered to cease any further 

acts of trespass on the Valid Sunburst Claims, whether by overstaking the claims or by 

preventing Sunburst from freely accessing its claims, patrolling the Valid Sunburst Claims, 

or otherwise interfering with unfettered access to the Valid Sunburst Claims by Sunburst or 

its invitees.

12. Sunburst is entitled to an award of appropriate attorneys’ fees in the amount 

of ___________________ and costs in the amount of ________________.

DATED this 25th day of March 2019.

/s/ JOHN W. SEDWICK

SENIOR JUDGE, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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