The state's intervention in the parental rights case of Edward Parks, convicted in the brutal beating of his girlfriend and mother of his children, is both a tactical and practical mistake.

The state is challenging the jurisdiction of the Minto Tribal Court, which stripped Parks of his parental rights and placed his daughter in the care of her mother's relatives. The state argues that Parks was denied due process rights as a citizen of Alaska, and that the Minto Tribal Court exceeded its limited jurisdiction over tribal matters.

Here's the state's problem in this case. The Minto Tribal Court made the right decision. With a long history of abuse and a conviction in the beating of Bessie Stearman that left her with broken ribs and a collapsed lung, Edward Parks has no business being a parent. Justice was done with regard to both him and his daughter, now protected in a safer home.