Opinion ID: 1429367
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Did the Superior Court Have Subject Matter Jurisdiction?

Text: We answer this argument in the affirmative as well. Even if 25 U.S.C. § 410 bars imposing liability on the proceeds of the condemnation action, nothing in section 410 excludes state court jurisdiction. Section 410 does not purport to make federal jurisdiction exclusive. Where a federal statute is silent on the question of jurisdiction, state and federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction. Charles Dowd Box Co. v. Courtney, 368 U.S. 502, 506-08, 82 S.Ct. 519, 522-23, 7 L.Ed.2d 483 (1962); Paul v. Nauska, 395 P.2d 260, 262-63 (Alaska 1964). Indeed, a state court of general jurisdiction may not refuse to hear a case brought under a federal statute unless it also lacks jurisdiction to hear state cases of the same type. Testa v. Katt, 330 U.S. 386, 67 S.Ct. 810, 91 L.Ed. 967 (1947); E.A. v. State, 623 P.2d 1210, 1215 n. 13 (Alaska 1981). Thus the superior court had jurisdiction to decide the application of section 410 to the proceeds in question here. Because we hold that the superior court had jurisdiction, we need not address Vitale's arguments regarding various permutations of the doctrine of res judicata. Similarly, his arguments that Tabbytite waived her jurisdictional objections are mooted.