Hopi Revises Criminal Code, Regains Sovereignty

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Crime rates in Indian Country are more than twice the national average. But for decades antiquated criminal codes have limited what tribal courts could do.

For example, crimes like child abuse and sexual assault didn’t exist on the books. And, tribal judges couldn’t sentence a defendant to more than a year in jail. But that's changing now. The Hopi Tribe has recently revised its criminal code and as a result is regaining a degree of tribal sovereignty in its court system...

Native Nations
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Citation

Morales, Laurel. "Hopi Revises Criminal Code, Regains Sovereignty." Fronteras: The Changing America Desk. March 8, 2013. Article. (https://fronterasdesk.org/content/6793/hopi-revises-criminal-code-regains-sovereignty, accessed July 17, 2023)

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