Saturday, October 27, 2007

Nebraska state courts retained jurisdiction to prosecute crimes involving Indians that preceded effective date of Unicameral's retrocession agreement with the Federal Government. State v. Wabashaw, S-06-642, 274 Neb. 394 Defendant was convicted of robbery and the court sentenced him as an habitual offender. The crime occurred on Indian territory. Nebraska Supreme Court affirms conviction as effective date (71 Fed. R eg. 7994 (Feb. 15, 2006)) of Nebraska's retrocession agreement (L.R. 17, Legislative Journal, 97th Leg., 1st S ess. 2356, 2358-59 (May 31,2001)) followed the crime. Congress abrogated its 1868 treaty with Indian tribes that required notice to the tribes before the State prosecuted an Indian (Public Law 280 18 U.S.C. § 1162(a) (2000)). Finally the Defendant's prior robbery conviction in South Dakota counted to enhance his sentence even though South Dakota courts (S.D. Codified Laws § 22-7-9 (2004))could not have considered the prior conviction due to passage of time (§ 29-2221 RRS Neb.).

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