"Finally, some justice — Part II. With a stroke of his pen, President Obama brought some long-overdue justice to Indian Country by signing the Tribal Law and Order Act. The new law should plug the gaping holes in how crimes are investigated and prosecuted on American Indian lands throughout the West. For far too long, serious crimes have gone unpunished. Now, federal prosecutors must justify to tribal leaders why they drop certain cases and tribal courts now have the authority to impose sentences of up to three years.

Violent-crime rates are 20 times the national average on Indian reservations, statistics show. Hopefully, the new law will bring some sense of fairness to Indian lands. It's long overdue. And a special kudos to former U.S. Attorney Troy Eid, who worked tirelessly to bring justice to those tribal lands."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Finally, some justice on drug sentencing (The Denver Post 7/31)

Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act:
H.R.725

Tribal Law and Order Act:
S.797 | H.R.1924

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