Oregon Public Broadcasting

U.S. Attorneys across the Northwest are preparing to ramp up their collaborative work on tribal land. April Baer reports.

When major crimes are committed on tribal land, the question of who has jurisdiction to prosecute is often complex.

In Oregon, for example, federal attorneys are heavily involved in most felony prosecutions. But there are a handful of exceptions, like the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation.

In Idaho, by contrast, the state has sole jurisdiction over juvenile offenders.

But the Justice Department is promising more help across the region – and the country – as part of an initiative to increase cooperation wherever tribal courts share jurisdiction with the federal government. 

Brendan Johnson  “The first step is going to be listening.”

Brendan Johnson, U.S. attorney for South Dakota, has been involved in crafting the new initiative. He says his counterparts in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and thirty other states will meet with tribal officials, and ask what they can do to better serve native communities.

Johnson says $6 million has been allocated in the DOJ budget to beef up staffing, with assistant U.S. attorneys and victims’ assistance specialists dedicated to tribal cases.

He wasn’t able to say exactly how much might flow to the Northwest. But with at least 47 new staff on the way, divided among 33 states, the odds are good that the region will pick up a few new positions.

Brendan Johnson  “That decision will be made with U.S. attorney input from those states and I know you have some very involved U.S. attorneys from those states.”

The plans call for annual consultations with tribes, and the development of operation plans for public safety.