Domestic Assault Law’s Use Of Tribal Court Convictions Proper, Supreme Court Rules

Mealey's (June 13, 2016, 12:27 PM EDT) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — The use of uncounseled tribal court domestic violence convictions as predicate offenses to prosecute an offender under federal law does not violate the U.S. Constitution because the tribal court convictions occurred in proceedings that complied with the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (ICRA) and were therefore valid, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court held JUne 13 in reversing a ruling by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (United States of America v. Michael Bryant, Jr., No. 15-420, U.S. Sup.)....