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More American Indian legal drama out of Oklahoma! In a vehicular-manslaughter prosecution, gov't had to prove defendant was an Indian to have federal jurisdiction. Defendant testified he was a tribal citizen, and he had also asserted that in state court to get out of related civil lawsuit. Tenth Circuit: Be that as it may, the gov't had to prove he was an Indian at the time of the crime, and the only evidence specifically bearing on timing was inadmissible hearsay. Conviction vacated.
The defendant was represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
The case is United States v. Hatley, No. 23-7046 (10th Cir. Sept. 5, 2025).
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