The Fort Peck Tribal Court in Montana. Photo from FPTC
The Fort Peck Tribes of Montana are ready to prosecute non-Indians who commit domestic violence offenses on the reservation. The tribe made changes to its laws and court procedures to ensure compliance with the Violence Against Women Act. Defendants, both Indian and non-Indian alike, will be provided with attorneys and their constitutional rights will be protected. A special prosecutor is being hired just for VAWA cases. “This is something we needed for quite some time,” Chief Tribal Judge Richard Jackson told The Fort Peck Journal. “We’re pretty excited. A lot of work went into this.” The Fort Peck Tribes are among the first five in Indian Country to meet the requirements of S.47, the 2013 law that contained the landmark tribal jurisdiction provisions. Get the Story:
Prosecution of non-Indians now under tribal jurisdiction (The Fort Peck Journal 3/12)
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