Navigating the Challenges of Muscogee Creek Nation Court
If you or a family member has been charged in Muscogee Creek Nation Court or Cherokee Nation Tribal Court, what do you need to know going forward? My name is Ted Hasse. I practice law in federal and tribal courts in Oklahoma. Today, I want to talk briefly about the process early on when defendants are finding themselves in the two busiest tribal courts in Indian country in eastern Oklahoma.
Muscogee Creek Nation stands out in that defendants who are going into custody frequently find themselves stuck without a bond amount set for several days. This has improved over the years. There was a time when people were sitting sometimes, unfortunately, for weeks. However, currently, it’s an unacceptable amount of time. And then what is sometimes happening is there are only criminal dockets happening on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sometimes the initial appearances are with an individual who’s picked up on a Thursday, a Friday, a Saturday, or a Sunday. It can end up being a while before they end up in front of a judge.
Also, because they don’t have a system set up, at least at this point in late 2023, whereby they have any list of bond amounts for county jails, every single bond is being set individually, usually by the chief judge at the district court at Muscogee Creek Nation. Cherokee Nation, however, they’ve got their system down for their counties. Things move much quicker. Defendants sit for a much shorter period.
The Relationship Between Tulsa County and Muscogee Creek Nation
One thing I would want to point out is a particular relationship between Tulsa County and Muscogee Creek Nation. Defendants who end up in David L. Moss Detention Center, and that’s the county jail for Tulsa County, who are facing charges of Muscogee Creek Nation. It can be very difficult for them to sort out getting out. It can be difficult for family members to sort it out. There’s no good cooperation. It seems like Tulsa County doesn’t want to cooperate with Muscogee Creek Nation.
Bondsmen, once they do get the information that they need, are forced to drive to Okmulgee, to Muscogee Creek District Court to get the paperwork. They’re not willing at David L. Moss to do transactions digitally. So frequently I’ll get calls from family members who are just having trouble getting a family member out of David L. Moss. If you find yourself in that situation, you’re going to want to find retained counsel. This is something that I’d be able to help with.
Contact me for a Low-cost Consultation
If you or a family member has been charged in a Muscogee Creek Nation Court or Cherokee Nation Tribal Court and are facing difficulties with the legal process, I am here to help. Contact me, Ted Hasse, at (918) 947-6552 for a initial consultation. Together, we can navigate through the challenges and work towards a resolution.
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