Tenth Circuit Briefs in United States v. Murphy [yes, that Murphy]

Here:

Mr. Murphy prevailed against Oklahoma in the Supreme Court following the McGirt decision, but was immediately prosecuted and convicted by the United States. He is now challenging the federal government’s delay.

Tamera Begay: A Day in the Life of a Tribal Prosecutor [Federal Lawyer]

Tamera Begay has published “A Day in the Life of a Tribal Prosecutor” in the January/February issue of the Federal Lawyer [starts on page 14].

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Oklahoma Federal Court [with New Mexico Judge] Dismisses Cherokee Citizens Claims against Oklahoma on State Court Exhaustion Grounds

Here are the materials in Pickup v. District Court of Nowata County (N.D. Okla.):

18 Counties Motion to Dismiss

24 District Attorneys Motion to Dismiss

27 Towns Motion to Dismiss

70 Clerks Motion to Dismiss

71 Clerk Edwards Motion to Dismiss

72 Clerk Newberry Motion to Dismiss

75 Opposition to 18

76 Opposition to 24

77 Opposition to 27

78 Opposition to 70

79 Opposition to 71

80 Opposition to 72

84 Reply in Support of 18

85 Reply in Support of 24

86 Reply in Support of 27

87 Owasso Motion to Dismiss

88 Reply in Support of 70

89 Reply in Support of 71

90 Reply in Support of 72

94 Opposition to 87

95 Reply in Support of 87

143 Tribes Motion to File Amicus Brief

143-1 Amicus Brief

170 DCT Order

Complaint here.

Emily Harwell on the Effects of McGirt

Emily N. Harwell has published “Judicial Discretion Across Jurisdictions: McGirt’s Effects on Indian Offenders in Oklahoma” in the Cornell Law Review. PDF.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Here is the abstract:

Oklahoma’s exercise of criminal jurisdiction over crime committed on tribal reservations remained unchecked until 2020. In McGirt v. Oklahoma, the Supreme Court held that the Muscogee Creek Nation’s reservation had in fact never been disestablished and remains in existence today. In doing so, the Court restored criminal prosecution authority to tribal and federal courts. McGirt received praise throughout the United States from tribal nations and federal Indian Law practitioners for Justice Gorsuch’s strong affirmation of the Muscogee Creek’s sovereignty over its reservation and the honoring of treaties made between the United States and the Muscogee Creek Nation. Similarly situated tribes in Eastern Oklahoma including the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw have already joined the Muscogee Creek Nation in asserting the changes that McGirt brings.

In the wake of this change, legal and political discussion has centered around practical matters: Does the Tribe have adequate resources for managing criminal jurisdiction within its reservation? Will the increase in cases overload the federal court system? The question of how the change in prosecutorial authority will affect Native American criminal defendants has yet to be asked, though. This Note assesses the effects of McGirt on the sentencing of Native Americans who commit crimes on a reservation in Oklahoma. Oklahoma state court judges exercise discretion in areas of sentencing different from federal court judges. Existing empirical studies suggest federal sentencing produces harsher, lengthier sentences than state courts. By comparing Oklahoma and federal court sentencing data, this study attempts to answer whether McGirt‘s celebration of tribal sovereignty is simultaneously a devastating blow to Native American criminal defendants committing crimes on tribal reservations in Oklahoma.

Angela Riley & Sarah Glenn Thompson on Dual Sovereignty and Indian Country Crimes

Angela Riley & Sarah Glenn Thompson have posted “Mapping Dual Sovereignty and Double Jeopardy in Indian Country Crimes,” recently published in the Columbia Law Review, on SSRN.

Here is the abstract:

The Double Jeopardy Clause guarantees no individual will be put in jeopardy twice for the same offense. But, pursuant to the dualsovereignty doctrine, multiple prosecutions for offenses stemming from the same conduct do not violate the Clause if the offenses charged arise under the laws of separate sovereigns, even if the laws are otherwise identical. The doctrine applies to tribal prosecutions, but its impact in Indian country is rarely studied. Such an inquiry is overdue, particularly as the scope of crimes potentially subject to dual tribal and federal prosecutions has broadened in recent years. This Article is the first to undertake a preliminary examination of the dual-sovereignty doctrine in the tribal–federal context and describe the complex interplay between the doctrine and the rest of the criminal law fabric in Indian country. Perhaps most significantly, it includes an original typology highlighting when a defendant may be subject to the doctrine, which sovereigns have the authority to prosecute, pursuant to what source of power each sovereign operates, and when and how the sequence of prosecutions matters, if at all. This leads to the Article’s central thesis: Indian tribes are separate sovereigns with inherent sovereignty, and, under current conditions, the dual-sovereignty doctrine plays a central role in ensuring safety in Indian country. The doctrine’s application in Indian country, however, creates unique complexities that may threaten tribal sovereignty and raise issues of unfairness for defendants. This Article offers numerous reforms—some highly ambitious and others more modest—to address these issues.

two police officers staring at each other in the style of miro

Mille Lacs Ojibwe Prevails on Criminal Jurisdiction against County Sheriff’s Office

Here are the materials in Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians v. County of Mille Lacs (D. Minn.):

Liking this. . . .

California Federal Court Issues Detention Order of Fake Tribal Judge Who Threatened and Harassed Woman

Here are the materials so far in United States v. Peterson (N.D. Cal.):

3 Petition for Arrest Warrant

7 Detention Order

20 Motion to Revoke Detention Order

35-8 Sheriff’s Reports

44 DCt Order Denying Revocation of Detention Order

Montana Federal Court Dismisses Native Inmates’ Suit over Jail Conditions that Allegedly Violate Hellsgate Treaty Because 11th Amendment Makes State Officials Immune (which a textualist would know says nothing like that whatsoever)

Here are the materials in Black Crow v. Lake County Jail, recaptioned In re Conditions at Lake County Jail (D. Mont.):

SCOTUS Denies Cert in Oklahoma Indian Status Case

Here is yesterday’s order list.

The Oklahoma case was Oklahoma v. Wadkins. Lower court materials here.

The Court also denied cert in the Clarkson case.

Michigan SCT Denies Leave to Review LTBB Reservation Boundaries Matter over Dissent

Here is the order in People v. Covey:

Can’t post briefs because Michigan’s courts do not make them available online.