Supreme Court to decide Native American land dispute in Oklahoma
Source: USA Today
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court agreed for the second time Friday to decide whether much of Oklahoma remains Native American territory, a ruling that could plunge the state into what it has called "civil, criminal and regulatory turmoil."
The justices will hear an appeal from Jimcy McGirt, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, who claims his state rape conviction from 1997 should be overturned because of the jurisdictional dispute.
His case is similar to one the high court heard last term but failed to decide – presumably because the justices were deadlocked, 4-4, without Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch's participation. Gorsuch came from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and likely was involved with the earlier case there.
When the first case was heard, the justices reached back to 1907 to determine whether Congress, using imprecise language, failed to disestablish the 1866 boundaries of the Indian reservation. If so, virtually half of Oklahoma – home to 1.8 million residents and including Tulsa, its second-largest city – would remain Native American territory and subject to federal, not state, laws.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-court-to-decide-native-american-land-dispute-in-oklahoma/ar-AAK6MGF?li=BBnbfcL
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