Cherokee Tribal Court hosted Judge Rick Walker, the Chief District Court Judge for the 30th Judicial District, and a group of state and tribal magistrates for a half-day training session on recent changes in tribal and state criminal jurisdiction on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Recent changes to Cherokee Code Rule 6, which clarify the tribe’s position that first descendants no longer fall within the Court’s criminal jurisdiction and the VAWA Reauthorization of 2013 were the main topics of discussion.
As of June 11, non-Indian defendants who commit certain domestic violence crimes on the reservation can now be charged in tribal court under VAWA 2013. The magistrates also toured the Courthouse, Police Department and Jail.
State Magistrates Todd Davis, Joseph Bateman, Josh Postell, Cliff Owl, Larry Spence, Curt Graham, Kendall Williams, Nick Henry, Albert Reagan, Katherine Millsaps, Karen Martin and Carissa Robinson were in attendance. Tribal Magistrates Elizabeth Jackson, John D. Crowe, Sam F. Reed, David Blanton and Anthony Sequoyah also participated in the seminar.
Associate Tribal Judge Danny Davis and Tribal Prosecutor Jason Smith presented power points and Chief Justice Bill Boyum gave the opening and closing remarks. The Chief Justice noted, “We are all in this together to make our criminal justice system work for the EBCI and for all citizens of western North Carolina.”
Prosecutor Smith added, “Education and training programs like this one will promote cooperation and bring justice to all victims of crime.”
– Cherokee Tribal Court
