Cherokee Nation Files 1,000 Criminal Cases Since Tribal Jurisdiction Ruling

The Cherokee Nation hit a milestone this week by filing 1,000 criminal cases since March. This comes after a state appeals court ruled in March that the Cherokee Nation was also included in the Supreme Court decision on tribal jurisdiction. 

Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill said filing 1,000 cases in just over two months is a big accomplishment, and it shows that the Nation is on track to keep up with the growing number of cases.

"In the previous years we would maybe file six cases a month, and since the Hogner has come down, we have filed about 300 a month," Hill explained. 

She said since the state appeals court ruling in March, her office created a criminal division and hired six more prosecutors to handle the case increase.

"To call is a group effort is almost an understatement. It really did take everyone in the 14-county area to get those cases filed," Hill said. 

Hill said tribal courts typically receive cases that federal courts cannot prosecute, like cases with statutes of limitations. She said her team has prosecuted every type of case --- from murder to traffic tickets.

"I can tell you – it’s everything we can do every day to make sure these cases are getting filed and that they are not being backed up here, which is what we do not want," Hill told News on 6. 

Federal courts have also been busy.

Hill said they're working to make sure no cases fall through the cracks.

"Not just the tribal citizens who live on the reservation, but to everyone who lives on the reservation-- public safety is our responsibility. I take that very seriously," Hill said. 

Hill said right now tribal courts can only sentence someone to three years in jail for each felony. She said her office is continuing to contact Congress to change that limit.