Justice Department giving Cherokee Nation $2 million to fund prosecutions after SCOTUS ruling
CHEROKEE NATION (NewsNation Now) — Attorney General William Barr said he’s providing more federal funding for Oklahoma to help fight crime after a major Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling back in July determined a massive part of Eastern Oklahoma remains a Native American reservation, throwing jurisdiction of the land into question.
Barr met with Cherokee leaders on Wednesday and promised $2 million over the next three years to help fund law enforcement and prosecutions, NewsNation affiliate KFOR-TV reported.
“The department will provide funds to hire two prosecutors for the Eastern district, and two prosecutors for the Northern district, from tribal prosecutors,” Barr said.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said cooperation between both sides will help create a smooth transition after the landmark ruling.
“Many state law enforcement officers are familiarizing themselves with tribal reservation boundaries for the first time and learning about jurisdictional rules that operate in Indian Country,” Hoskin said.
Barr said new prosecutors will be cross designated so they can handle cases in both tribal and federal court.