Attorney General Mike Hunter joins major Oklahoma tribal nations to comment on ‘McGirt’ decision


The office of Attorney General Mike Hunter joined with the Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole Nations to release a joint statement Thursday (July 9) after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the state in the ‘McGirt v. Oklahoma’ case. 

The five tribes and Hunter’s office said the governments “have made substantial progress toward an agreement to present to Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice addressing and resolving any significant jurisdictional issues raised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma.” The statement did not mention if any other tribes were consulting before the press release was issued. 

The statement, apparently prepared in advance of the ruling’s issuance in Washington, D.C. and then adapted to reflect the 5-4 defeat for the state, said all those on the press release “are committed to ensuring that Jimcy McGirt, Patrick Murphy, and all other offenders face justice for the crimes for which they are accused. We have a shared commitment to maintaining public safety and long-term economic prosperity for the Nations and Oklahoma.:

The press release continued, saying those issuing the statement “are committed to implementing a framework of shared jurisdiction that will preserve sovereign interests and rights to self-government while affirming jurisdictional understandings, procedures, laws, and regulations that support public safety, our economy, and private property rights. We will continue our work, confident that we can accomplish more together than any of us could alone.” 

Note: Editor Pat McGuigan contributed to this posting.