MUSKOGEE — Jimcy McGirt, 72, the man whose landmark case upended Oklahoma’s legal system, was sentenced to three life sentences by a federal judge on Wednesday.
In his sentencing, Judge John F. Heill III called McGirt a sexual predator who represented a continued risk to young children if he was released. Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Wilson said McGirt would spend the rest of his life in prison and would not be eligible for parole.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
McGirt was convicted by a state court in 1996 on three felony charges of sexually abusing a four-year-old girl. His state convictions were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last July in a ruling that established that a significant swath of eastern Oklahoma remains American Indian land for certain legal purposes.
In a 5-4 decision, the country’s highest court ruled that Congress never “disestablished” the 1866 boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which encompasses three million acres and includes most of the city of Tulsa. The ruling, which reaffirms that the land promised to the tribe by treaty remains rightfully theirs, meant that American Indians involved in crimes on the Muscogee Nation’s reservation had to be tried in either federal or Tribal court.
Support news coverage that inspires, uplifts, and informs Native Americans.
Earlier this month, the state of Oklahoma filed a brief to ask the Supreme Court to narrow or overturn its decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. State officials said the McGirt decision and a separate lower-court decision had affected the state’s ability to prosecute crimes committed on reservations by non-Natives.
McGirt’s victim spoke on Wednesday about the lasting damage that she had suffered as a result of McGirt’s crimes against her, according to a local TV report.
"People like Jimcy McGirt deserve to be put away forever because what he did to me … is going to live with me the rest of my life," she said.
More Stories Like This
Chickasaw Children’s Village Celebrates 20 Years of Nurturing First American StudentsOregon Governor Visits Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Water Rights Agreement with Colorado River Indian Tribes in Arizona Signed
Biden Nominates Salish & Kootenai Tribal Attorney Danna Jackson for Federal Bench
A Conversation With Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan: What We Can Celebrate Around the State
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
