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Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010

See also our page on Jurisdiction in Indian Country.

Last updated: March 11, 2015

Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. PL 111-211, (Congress passed the legislation as part of another bill regarding Indian Arts and Crafts. See Title II.)

Watch a video of President Obama signing the Tribal Law and Order Act, including an introduction from Lisa Marie Lyotte.

Legislative History of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010

Indian Law & Order Commission
Created by the TLOA, this independent, all-volunteer advisory group is charged with developing specific proposal for improving public policy. See: the report of the Indian Law and Order Commission (ILOC): "A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer" 11/12/013.

Tribal Law and Order Act: None of the Surveyed Tribe Reported Exercising the New Sentencing Authority, and the Department of Justice Could Clarify Tribal Eligibility for Certain Grant Funds GAO-12-658R May 30, 2012

Related Online Resources:

Tribal Law and Order Resource Center, National Congress of American Indians

Tribal Judicial Institute Conference Materials on the Tribal Law & Order Act, February 26, 2012

U.S. Department of Justice, Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions 2011-2012

 

Related News, Articles, Reports & Books:

Enhanced Sentencing in Tribal Courts: Lessons Learned from Tribes. Christine Folsom-Smith, Director, The National Tribal Judicial Center, January 2015

Restoring Safety to Native Women and Girls and Strengthening Native Nations: A Report on Tribal Capacity for Enhanced Sentencing and Restored Criminal Jurisdiction. Indian Law Resource Center, 2013

A leader emerges: Hopi Tribe adopts new criminal code according to Tribal Law and Order Act standards from Indian Country Today, September 3, 2012

Senator Akaka introduces bill to strengthen Tribal Law and Order Act from KHON2 on 02/09/12

"New Law Attempts to Bring Justice to Indian Country" from Indian Country Today Media Network.com, December 1, 2011

"State: Tribes proceed cautiously with federal law provision " from the Daily Courier, July 26, 2011

"Failure to Progress: A Renewed Call for American Indians and Alaskan Natives on the Federal Bench" by the Hon. Elizabeth Ann Kronk, from The Federal Lawyer, March/April 2011

"Federal Laws Discriminate; Tribal Justice May Improve" from Indian Country Today, February 18, 2011

"Tribal Courts Ill-Equipped For New Felony Trials" from Northwest Public Radio, February 1, 2011

"News Coverage of Albuquerque TLOA Symposium" from TurtleTalk Blog, October 21, 2010

"Tribes, Feds Work to Implement Law and Order Act" from the Associated Press, October 19, 2010

Podcast on the Tribal Law and Order Act from Legal Current, featuring Professor Matthew Fletcher

"Tribal Law and Order Act Background" from the National Congress of American Indians

"Summary of the Tribal Law and Order Act" from John Harte, Mapetsi Policy Group

"Tribal Law and Order Act Details" from TurtleTalk Blog

"President Obama Signs Historic Tribal Law & Order Act Into Law" from the National Congress of American Indians

"Obama Signs Historic Tribal Law and Order Act" from Indian Country Today, July 30, 2010

"Tribal Law and Order Act" by Carl J. Artman

Read commentary and information on the law and related issues.

American Bar Association's Letter in Support of the Tribal Law and Order Act

Federal Bar Association's Letter in Support of the Tribal Law and Order Act

Letter in Support of the Tribal Law and Order Act from former United States Attorneys Heffelfinger and Eid

"Tribal Law and Order Act to Become Law at Cost to Tribes" from Indian Country Today, July 22, 2010

"Passage of Tribal Law and Order Act Receives Praise from NCAI" from the National Congress of American Indians

"Tribal Law and Order Act Brings Hope for Justice" from Indian Country Today, July 20, 2010

"Bringing Justice to Indian Country" from former United States Attorney Troy Eid, in The Denver Post, August 3, 2010

"ABA Perspectives Article on Violence against Indian Women, Fall 2009" from TurtleTalk Blog

Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior in collaboration with the Work Group on Corrections, Tribal Law and Order Act: Long Term Plan to Build and Enhance Tribal Justice Systems. August 2011

Jasmine Owens, "Historic" in a bad way: How the Tribal Law and Order Act continues the American tradition of providing inadequate protection to American Indian and Alaska Native rape victims," from Journal of Criminal Law and Crimonology (Spring 2012).
102 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 497

Troy Eid, "The Tribal Law and Order Act: An 'Aggressive Fight' Worth Winning," from Federal Lawyer, March/April, 2010. 57-APR Fed. Law. 34 (On Westlaw)

Matthew Handler, "Tribal Law and Disorder: A Look at a System of Broken Justice in Indian Country and the Steps Needed to Fix It," from Brooklyn Law Review, Fall, 2009. 75 Brook. L. Rev. 261 (On Westlaw)