Court Opinion

ID: 9792577
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:31:03.525474+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:43.691219
License: Public Domain

BISTLINE, Justice,
dissenting.
In this case the majority holds that “federal law does not preempt the state courts from determining the status of [trust] property and allowing one party to receive reimbursements for community property that has been used to enhance the value of the separate [trust] property.” The Court relies upon the recent case of Sheppard v. Sheppard, 104 Idaho 1, 655 P.2d 895 (1982). Consistent with my views expressed in Sheppard, again I submit that 25 U.S.C. § 1322(b) and I.C. § 67-5103 deprive state courts of jurisdiction to adjudicate, directly or indirectly, any interest in trust property. Continuing to adhere to the belief that race is irrelevant to the issue of state court jurisdiction, I find it troubling that the Court follows Sheppard in apparent disregard of the fact that Sheppard considered it “[o]f most significance” that “only one of the parties is an Indian.” Here, however, while noting that the Fishers are both Indians, and without further explanation, the Court sees that “this factual difference is not significant.”
I add only that the problems which here exist with regard to the division of the community funds acquired after separation reaffirm my belief that the Court in Suter v. Suter, 97 Idaho 461, 546 P.2d 1169 (1976), alternatively would have better held that *73after separation the earnings and accumulations of both spouses are the separate property of each. See Ross v. Ross, 103 Idaho 406, 417, 648 P.2d 1119, 1130 (1982) (Bistline, J., concurring and dissenting). At this point in time, obviously the legislature alone will be the agency by which that appropriate change in the law is made.
Without belabouring the point, I am not persuaded the statutory law can or should be read so as to allow Mrs. Fisher to bear ultimately one-half of the child support which Mr. Fisher was ordered to pay pendente lite.