Cole Bill Looks to Fix Abuse Loophole
Bill would close domestic abuse loophole on tribal lands
BY MICHAEL OVERALL World Staff Writer
Monday, February 18, 2013
Hypothetically, if U.S. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma committed a crime on tribal land, he could face charges in a tribal court because he’s a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
“Even if it’s a different tribe,” Cole explains, “they could still charge me because we trust one tribe to handle cases against members of another tribe.”
But if a non-Indian committed the same crime on the same land, the tribal courts would be powerless.
“And that’s just silly,” says Cole, who represents the 4th District in south-central Oklahoma.