The Supreme Court has affirmed that a huge piece piece of Eastern Oklahoma – which includes Tulsa – remains tribal land for purposes of federal criminal law. What this means, that if you’re a tribal member in that region and commit a crime, local officials can’t charge you – it’s up to the tribal leadership.
If the United States wants to push forward, the defendant will have to be charged on a federal level. Conservative Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who sided with the Liberal wing in the 5-4 decision, admits chaos may follow the ruling. This is because potentially hundreds of convictions might now be challenged – including the child rape conviction of a Native American because the state lacked jurisdiction.
So why’d he go along? The majority opinion was that Congress never disestablished the reservation it promised Native Americans when the government forced them to move there in the 1800s.
Source:CNN