Washington, D.C. – Today, after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on McGirt v. Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s congressional delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives issued the following joint statement. The case and resulting opinion relate to the authority and jurisdiction of the Five Tribes of Oklahoma – Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole Nations – to prosecute crimes on their tribal territories
“Today, the Supreme Court provided a long-awaited ruling on McGirt v. Oklahoma on an issue concerning the Five Tribes of Oklahoma and all Oklahomans. We are reviewing the decision carefully and stand ready to work with both tribal and state officials to ensure stability and consistency in applying law that brings all criminals to justice. Indeed, no criminal is ever exempt or immune from facing justice, and we remain committed to working together to both affirm tribal sovereignty and ensure safety and justice for all Oklahomans.”
Text of the Supreme Court’s opinion is available here.
(Note from OKWNEWS.com owner, Donna Deaton: There is some good Oklahoma history referenced in the above Supreme Court’s opinion. It isn’t too difficult to read and better helped me understand their ruling. It’s also a glimpse into how the US Supreme Court operates. In reversing the ruling of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, the US Supreme Court may have opened the state for additional lawsuits and future new appeals as well. Here is the final ruling of the highest court in the land:
“The federal government promised the Creek a reservation in perpetuity. Over time, Congress has diminished that reservation. It has sometimes restricted and other times expanded the Tribe’s authority. But Congress has never withdrawn the promised reservation. As a result, many of the arguments before us today follow a sadly familiar pattern. Yes, promises were made, but the price of keeping them has become too great, so now we should just cast a blind eye. We reject that thinking. If Congress wishes to withdraw its promises, it must say so. Unlawful acts, performed long enough and with sufficient vigor, are never enough to amend the law. To hold otherwise would be to elevate the most brazen and longstanding injustices over the law, both rewarding wrong and failing those in the right. The judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma is Reversed.”)
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