Case Name: FORT PECK TRIBES, Plaintiff/Appellee, v. Bernetta WALKING EAGLE, Defendant/Appellant
Court: Fort Peck Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Tribal Jurisdictions
Decision Date: 2011-06-30
Citations: 11 Am. Tribal Law 279
Docket Number: No. 570
Parties: FORT PECK TRIBES, Plaintiff/Appellee, v. Bernetta WALKING EAGLE, Defendant/Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's American Tribal Law Reporter
Volume: 11
Pages: 279–279

Head Matter:
FORT PECK TRIBES, Plaintiff/Appellee, v. Bernetta WALKING EAGLE, Defendant/Appellant.
No. 570.
Fort Peck Court of Appeals.
June 30, 2011.
Terry L. Boyd, Lay Counselor, Brock-ton, MT, for Appellant Walking Eagle.
N. Jean Bearcrane, Esq., Poplar, MT, for Appellee Fort Peck Tribes.

Opinion:
ORDER DISMISSING APPEAL
On May 13, 2011, Appellant Bernetta Walking Eagle filed a "Petition for Review" of the denial by the Tribal Trial Court of her Motion to Dismiss a criminal complaint against her. Appellee Fort Peck Tribes opposes review. The Tribes first argue that Appellant's initiation of appellate review is improper since a Petition for Review is used exclusively in civil cases and a Notice of Appeal is the proper way to institute appeal of a criminal proceeding. Second, Appellant contends that the appeal should not be granted because the decision to deny a Motion to Dismiss is not final under the Fort Peck Tribes Comprehensive Code of Justice.
Regardless of the title of the document used to initiate appellate review, we treat this as a properly filed appellate proceeding. However, we agree that the decision of the Tribal Trial Court is not final within the meaning of Title II, Section 202.
Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this appeal is dismissed and remanded to the Tribal Trial Court for further proceedings.