Their reversal of a death penalty conviction for a 1999 murder in Oklahoma may wind up turning the east half of Oklahoma on its ear.
Basically the courts are of the opinion the State of Oklahoma did not properly abolish the Creek Nation when combining Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory into statehood in 1907.?ÿ The murder victim was a member of the Creek Nation.?ÿ According to their ruling the federal government should have investigated and prosecuted the crime, not the State of Oklahoma.?ÿ It's not clear if the appellant party will go free.?ÿ He now sits on our "Death Row" awaiting his demise at the hands of the State.
But the implications of the ruling affect far more than?ÿone aging incarcerated killer.
If the various tribal lands were not properly cared for at statehood and still exist to this day...there are a lot of tribal nations that have a BIG stake in basically the entire east half of the State of Oklahoma.?ÿ Think things like mineral and water rights.
Imagine every Love's or Flying J Truck Stop on Interstate 40?ÿsoon becoming a casino...or even the entire east half of Oklahoma becoming an entirely new territory...an possibly a new state entirely.
Here's a candidate for the new State Anthem:
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The supreme court has agreed to hear the appeal of this case.?ÿ
The case is here if anyone is interested.?ÿ https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-10th-circuit/1870133.html
The murdered man was "found in a ditch near Eufaula, Oklahoma, with severed testicles and stab wounds to the throat and chest. According to court records, it was estimated that he bled to death in under 12 minutes". I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he was messing with something he might should have left alone...