OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court granted the state’s request for certiorari in the Royal v. Murphy case.
The decision by the Supreme Court comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed a conviction of a Native American for killing another member of his tribe. The Tenth Circuit said the decision must be vacated because the murder took place on an Indian reservation with boundaries dating back to the 1866 Indian Territory that had not been disestablished by Congress when Oklahoma became a state.
“We are pleased with today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review this critically important case,” Attorney General Hunter said. “Our team is looking forward to presenting our side and providing clarity for the state, tribal sovereigns and the 1.8 million Oklahomans who live in the area at issue.”
Although no dates are set, briefing in the case is expected to occur over the summer, arguments in the fall and a decision is expected before June 2019.
To read the Supreme Court order, click here.