Funds to be used to enhance tribal prosecutorial services
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma — The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has been awarded grant funds in the amount of $547,980 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Tribal Justice Support in order to enhance tribal prosecutorial services for the MCN tribal court system. According to the BIA website, the BIA TJS directorate provides guidance, technical support and advisory services to tribal courts by providing funding, training, oversight for continuing operations for the Courts of Indian Offenses, and promoting cooperation and coordination between tribal, federal and state judiciary systems. Grant funds would be used for program support services on behalf of MCN Office of the Attorney General to hire four additional prosecutors in light of the recent McGirt decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court that confirmed the Nation’s reservation status. The new prosecutors would take on cases specifically in the areas of Violence Against Women Act, domestic violence and protective orders, and Indian Child Welfare Act and child dependency. Funds will also provide necessary tribal code updates, technological equipment and software. MCN Attorney General Roger Wiley identified code updates are needed in the areas of traffic, youthful offender, criminal offenses and criminal procedure for MCN tribal courts. With an increase in caseload since the McGirt decision, the MCN Office of the Attorney General will continue to seek out other opportunities for the advancement of the Nation’s court system. “The Nation is in need of sufficient funding to support the entire criminal justice system,” Wiley said. “The juvenile justice system will require funding to establish a basic framework of services such as: prevention/early intervention, diversion, intake, detention, probation and placement. We will seek out all sources of tribal and federal funding to address the Nation's needs.”
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