Law | National

Tulalip Tribes prosecutor gets expanded authority under VAWA






Herman Williams, Chairman of the Tulalip Tribes, United States Attorney for the Western District, Jenny A. Durkan, and Tulalip prosecutor Sharon Jones Hayden. Photo by Francesca Hillery / Tulalip Tribes

The Tulalip Tribes signed an agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Western Washington to address domestic violence.

Sharon Jones Hayden, a tribal prosecutor, was named a special assistant U.S. Attorney. She will work closely with federal prosecutors on domestic violence matters involving all offenders, Indian and non-Indian.

“We value our relationship with the US Attorney here in the Western District and the new SAUSA appointment will help our tribal court better protect our people,” Chairman Herman Williams said in a press release. “We have worked hard to build a justice system that makes our community safer for everyone.”

The tribe is participating in a pilot project as part of S.47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The law recognizes tribal authority over non-Indian offenders in certain domestic violence cases.

Get the Story:
Tulalips wield new power against domestic violence (The Everett Herald 7/14)

Related Stories:
IPR: VAWA provides a 'ray of hope' for Native victims of violence (02/21)
Tribes ready to prosecute non-Indians for domestic violence (02/07)
Three tribes to exercise jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders (02/06)

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