DOJ Report: Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions, 2013

Federal prosecutors are declining about a third of the Indian Country crime cases referred to them, a rate that has held steady during most of the Obama administration.

According to the latest report to Congress under the Tribal Law and Order Act, federal prosecutors declined 34 percent, or 853 cases, in fiscal year 2013. That's more or less the same as the 31 percent rate from 2012 and the 37 percent from 2011.

“As detailed in this report, the Department of Justice is making good on our commitment to strengthen cooperation with sovereign tribes, reduce violent crime, and ensure justice for every individual,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a press release on Tuesday.

The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 requires DOJ to provide annual reports on declination rates. Prior studies -- including an investigation by the Government Accountability Office -- found that federal prosecutors were turning down as many as 50 percent of the cases in the years prior to the passage of the law.

Get the Story:
Feds Prosecuting More Indian Country Crime Cases (Fronteras 8/26)
Feds: Report shows progress in tribal prosecutions (AP 8/26)

GAO Report "U.S. Department of Justice Declinations of Indian Country Criminal Matters":
Summary | Full Report

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GAO report confirms big declination rate in Indian Country cases (12/14)
Declination rate remains high for crimes in Indian Country (2/21)