DOJ Requests $83 Million To Aid Caseload Impacted By Tribal Jurisdiction Ruling In Oklahoma

The Department of Justice is asking for $83 million to be sent to Oklahoma to help with the caseload from the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding tribal jurisdiction.

The money would be split to help federal resources including the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI and U.S. Marshals.

Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said they usually have about 200 cases a year. Right now, they have more than 800, with no end in sight. He said any extra resources will help.

Johnson said they can't continue to operate on their old budget, when they are facing a 400% increase in cases.

"With the amount of work we are doing right now, this money is desperately needed. The FBI needs it for investigations, the Marshal service needs it for transportation, our office needs it so we can prosecute the cases we need to,” said Johnson.

If approved, $33 million would go to the three U.S. Attorney's Offices in Oklahoma to hire more prosecutors and support staff, $25 million would go to the FBI office of Oklahoma, $8 million would go to the U.S. Marshals and $10 million to the Bureau of Indian affairs.

Since last July, Johnson said they've had 23 prosecutors from around the country volunteer to come to Oklahoma to help.

"The main reason is I thought, how would I feel if I was in that situation with other line assistants, so I thought why not spend the next six months in Oklahoma,” said Cymetra Williams, an Assistant U.S. Attorney from New Jersey. “The cases just keep on coming. That is the most noticeable part. Every week I am getting new cases. It's really an effort in trying to be efficient but also meet the needs of justice and think about the victims."

Most of the prosecutors specialized in a certain area back home, but now they are the jack of all trades, working any and every case, just to keep up, sometimes working seven days a week.

"I found it starting to wear on me a little. The normal de-stressors that you have back home - your family, your wife, your dog, your trucks, cars or whatever you work on - you don't have that here,” said Kevin Fletcher, an Assistant U.S. Attorney from Iowa.

"We are processing the cases, we are indicting the cases, violent felons we are going to keep off the streets, but this money is very well needed, and the support is very much needed so that we can continue with our mission,” Johnson said.

Johnson said now it is a waiting game to see if Congress approves the request, then determines how much money Oklahoma will get and where it will go.