In criminal matters, only Native Americans can be prosecuted by the tribal court, but they are then subjected to adjudication in state court as well. The maximum punishment for any offense, Londregan said, is a $5,000 fine and one year in jail.
It's a completely independent process, and neither the state court or tribal court has any bearing on the other, Londregan said. It's important that criminal lawyers recognize this.
Another point all attorneys must certify that they understand, Londregan said, is that the court does not allow any cause of action for claims of losses related to gaming. Those claims are handled by a separate Gaming Commission. There is also a $125 application fee.
"We wanted to come up with a compromise between taking a full written bar exam and just admitting somebody," said Londregan, "so we created something that we think will work pretty well."•
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