KSFY Action News: Breaking News, Weather and Community |Tribal court complaint raises jurisdiction issue
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Associated Press - July 30, 2010 1:35 PM ET
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The government is trying to keep a tribal court in southeast South Dakota from proceeding with a free speech complaint filed against two Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers.
The U.S. attorney's office says the Yankton Sioux Tribal Court doesn't have jurisdiction over federal employees and that such proceedings would make it harder for the BIA to recruit and retain police officers.
Gail Hubbeling filed a complaint in tribal court alleging a violation of free speech when BIA officers arrested her for obstructing an investigation into a reckless driving report.
Proceedings in tribal court are on hold while the jurisdictional issue is handled in federal court.
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