Arvo Mikkanen handled tribal theft case, Seminole Freedmen case

Tuesday, February 8, 2011  

Turtle Talk has posted opinions of some of the cases that Arvo Mikkanen, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, has worked on as a federal prosecutor.

One of the biggest cases involved the prosecution of at least 10 officials and employees of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for theft. Some of the cases went to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld Mikkanen's efforts.

Another case that went to the 10th Circuit involved the Freedmen of the Seminole Nation. Mikkanen successfully argued that the tribe violated a treaty by expelling the descendants of former African slaves.

Mikkanen has served as an assistant federal prosecutor the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Oklahoma since 1994. President Barack Obama has nominated him to be a federal judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Get the Story:
Some Highlights of Arvo Mikkanen’s Litigation Career (Turtle Talk 2/8)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Arvo Mikkanen federal court nomination and the white man (2/7)
Obama nominates Arvo Mikkanen, Kiowa, to serve as federal judge (2/3)