Supreme Court Agrees to Consider If States Can Prosecute Non-Indians for Crimes on Indian Land

Supreme Court Agrees to Consider If States Can Prosecute Non-Indians for Crimes on Indian Land
The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington in a file photo. Mark Thomas/Pixabay
Matthew Vadum
Matthew Vadum
contributor
|Updated:

The Supreme Court announced on Jan. 21 that it would consider whether its 2020 decision expanding tribal authority in Oklahoma should cancel a non-Indian man’s conviction for abusing his part-Indian stepchild.

The high court will consider whether states may prosecute non-Indians for crimes against Indians on Indian reservations but specifically refused to reconsider its 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which stripped Oklahoma courts of the ability to hear criminal cases against Native Americans for crimes taking place on Indian lands.

Related Topics