Criminal Law
An Oklahoma Appeals Court Reverses Four Death Penalty Cases That Were Previously Overturned
An Oklahoma appeals court on Tuesday reversed four previous rulings that overturned death penalty cases based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision that limited state jurisdiction for crimes committed on tribal reservations.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled earlier in August that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in what is known as the McGirt case does not apply retroactively. The McGirt ruling found that Oklahoma lacks jurisdiction for crimes on tribal reservations in which the defendants or victims are tribal citizens.
On Tuesday, the same appeals court vacated its rulings that had cited the McGirt decision in overturning the cases of death row inmates Shaun Bosse, James Ryder, Miles Bench and Benjamin Cole Sr.
