Eastern Cherokees want tribal prosecutor to assist US Attorney

Thursday, August 18, 2011  

Leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians want their tribal prosecutor to work more closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

The tribal council asked for Jason Smith to be appointed as a special federal prosecutor. They hope his presence will help address criminal cases on the reservation.

“It would provide them with a prosecutor that can handle those crimes that occur here, regardless of what kind of crime or where it happened,” Smith told The Smoky Mountain News.

U.S. Attorneys in other states have enlisted tribal prosecutors but authorities in North Carolina apparently haven't said whether Smith can come aboard. A decision will be made “in the near future,” an assistant prosecutor told the paper.

Get the Story:
Wheels of justice turn too slowly for Cherokee’s taste (The Smoky Mountain News 8/18)

Tribal prosecutors named to Indian Country crime in four states (7/27)