Tulsa County Judge Pushes Over 100 Criminal Cases Back To February

A Tulsa County judge postponed over 100 criminal cases back to February, due to uncertainty over the recent Supreme Court ruling on tribal jurisdiction.

Most of the cases involve the Cherokee Reservation and included everything from misdemeanors to murders. A prosecutor with the Tulsa County District Attorney’s office said the ruling applied to the Creek Reservation so it’s unclear it the ruling also applies to the Cherokee Reservation.

"We've been transferring those cases that happen on the Creek Reservation to federal court or tribal court,” Kevin Keller, Chief of Criminal at the Tulsa County DA’s office said. “I imagine if the court of criminal appeals decides the Cherokee question the same way the Creek question was decided that the same thing would happen."

The judge pushed back the cases until they can get a ruling from the court of criminal appeals.