25 C.F.R. Subpart B—Courts of Indian Offenses; Personnel; Administration
Title 25 - Indians
(a) Each court shall be composed of a trial division and an appellate division. (b) A chief magistrate will be appointed for each court who will, in addition to other judicial duties, be responsible for the administration of the court and the supervision of all court personnel. (c) Appeals shall be heard by a panel of three magistrates who were not involved in the trial of the case. (d) Decisions of the appellate division are final and are not subject to administrative appeals within the Department of the Interior. (a) Each magistrate shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs or his or her designee subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the tribal governing body of the tribe occupying the Indian country over which the court has jurisdiction, or, in the case of multi-tribal courts, confirmation by a majority of the tribal governing bodies of the tribes under the jurisdiction of a Court of Indian Offenses. (b) Each magistrate shall hold office for a period of four years, unless sooner removed for cause or by reason of the abolition of the office, but is eligible for reappointment. (c) No person is eligible to serve as a magistrate of a Court of Indian Offenses who has ever been convicted of a felony or, within one year of the date of service or application, of a misdemeanor. (d) No magistrate shall be qualified to act as such wherein he or she has any direct conflicting interest, real or apparent. (e) A tribal governing body may set forth such other qualifications for magistrates of the Court of Indian Offenses as it deems appropriate, subject to the approval of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, or his or her designee. (f) A tribal governing body may also recommend requirements for the training of magistrates of the Court of Indian Offenses to the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. Any magistrate of a Court of Indian Offenses may be suspended, dismissed or removed by the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, or his or her designee, for cause, upon the written recommendation of the tribal governing body, and, in the case of multi-tribal courts, upon the recommendation of a majority of the tribal governing bodies of the tribes under the jurisdiction of a Court of Indian Offenses, or pursuant to his or her own discretion. (a) Except as may otherwise be provided in a contract with the tribe occupying the Indian country over which the court has jurisdiction, the chief magistrate shall appoint a clerk of court for the Court of Indian Offenses within his or her jurisdiction, subject to the superintendent's approval. (b) The clerk shall render assistance to the court, to local law enforcement officers and to individual members of the tribe in the drafting of complaints, subpoenas, warrants, commitments, and other documents incidental to the functions of the court. The clerk shall also attend and keep a record of all proceedings of the court and manage all monies received by the court. (c) The clerk of court shall forward any monies received on judgments due to the person, agency, or corporation to which entitled, within 30 days unless directed otherwise by a magistrate of the Court of Indian Offenses. Except as may otherwise be provided in a contract with the tribe occupying the Indian country over which the court has jurisdiction, the superintendent shall appoint a prosecutor for each Court of Indian Offenses within his or her jurisdiction. (a) No defendant in a criminal proceeding shall be denied the right to counsel. (b) The chief magistrate shall prescribe in writing standards governing the admission and practice in the Court of Indian Offenses of professional attorneys and lay counselors. (a) Each Court of Indian Offenses shall keep a record of all proceedings of the court containing the title of the case, the names of the parties, the complaint, all pleadings, the names and addresses of all witnesses, the date of any hearing or trial, the name of any magistrate conducting such hearing or trial, the findings of the court or jury, the judgment and any other information the court determines is important to the case. (b) The record in each case shall be available for inspection by the parties to the case. (c) Except for cases in which a juvenile is a party or the subject of a proceeding, and for cases whose records have been sealed by the court, all case records shall be available for inspection by the public. (d) Such court records are part of the records of the BIA agency having jurisdiction over the Indian country where the Court of Indian Offenses is located and shall be protected in accordance with 44 U.S.C. 3102. (a) No employee of the BIA may obstruct, interfere with, or control the functions of any Court of Indian Offenses, or influence such functions in any manner except as permitted by Federal statutes or the regulations in this part or in response to a request for advice or information from the court. (b) Employees of the BIA shall assist the court, upon its request, in the preparation and presentation of facts in the case and in the proper treatment of individual offenders. (a) Any Court of Indian Offenses may make application to the superintendent who administers the individual Indian money account of a defendant who has failed to satisfy a money judgment from the court to obtain payment of the judgment from funds in the defendant's account. The court shall certify the record of the case to the superintendent. If the superintendent so directs, the disbursing agent shall pay over to the injured party the amount of the judgment or such lesser amount as may be specified by the superintendent. (b) A judgment of a Court of Indian Offenses shall be considered a lawful debt in all proceedings held by the Department of the Interior or by a Court of Indian Offenses to distribute decedents' estates. All money fines imposed for the commission of an offense shall be in the nature of an assessment for the payment of designated court expenses. The fines assessed shall be paid over by the clerk of the court to the disbursing agent of the reservation for deposit as a “special deposit, court funds” to the disbursing agent's official credit in the Treasury of the United States. The disbursing agent shall withdraw such funds, in accordance with existing regulations, upon order of the clerk of the court signed by a judge of the court for the payment of specified expenses. The disbursing agent and the clerk of the court shall keep an account of all such deposits and withdrawals available for public inspection.
Title 25: Indians
PART 11—LAW AND ORDER ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS
Subpart B—Courts of Indian Offenses; Personnel; Administration
§ 11.200 Composition of court.
§ 11.201 Appointment of magistrates.
§ 11.202 Removal of magistrates.
§ 11.203 Court clerks.
§ 11.204 Prosecutors.
§ 11.205 Standards governing appearance of attorneys and lay counselors.
§ 11.206 Court records.
§ 11.207 Cooperation by Bureau of Indian Affairs Employees.
§ 11.208 Payment of judgments from individual Indian money accounts.
§ 11.209 Disposition of fines.
