United States | A fight over jurisdiction

Oklahoma takes a tussle with Indian tribes to the Supreme Court

Challenging the long arm of tribal law

Apr 21st 2022|Tahlequah, Oklahoma

WITH AN AIR of efficiency Judge Amy Page moves through the day’s docket. Defendants stand sheepishly before her to face their charges: assault and battery, stalking, larceny, drunk driving. Most take a plea deal and a scolding, and exhale with relief when dismissed. The proceedings resemble those of any county courtroom in the country—but for the fact that every defendant is Native American. The seal of the Cherokee nation adorns the wall.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The long arm of tribal law”