Angel Ellis/Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma– A Class action lawsuit filed in the District Court of Okmulgee alleges that the State of Oklahoma, its counties, cities and municipalities may have collected monies without lawful authority or jurisdiction.
The suit asks the Court to rule as to whether or not monies collected from the prosecution of Native American citizens be repaid since the SCOTUS opinion has stated the Muscogee (Creek) Nations boundaries were never disestablished by Congress. It also asks the Court to decide if the defendants be required to pay interest on the monies collected.
The plaintiffs, Jason Nicholson (Cherokee), Justin Hooper (Cherokee), Cael Burgess (Cherokee) and Derek Hair (Cherokee) are being represented by Federman & Sherwood, Kevin Adams and John Dunn.
Nicholson, Hooper, and Hair all were prosecuted by the State of Oklahoma and or its political subdivisions. They claim those prosecutions were unlawful and that the State of Oklahoma and its political subdivisions have been unjustly enriched.
Listed as defendants in the case are Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, eight District Attorneys and the counties they serve in official capacity, and 39 cities, towns and municipalities.
Counties include Tulsa, Creek, McIntosh, Wagoner, Mayes, Rogers, Okfuskee, Muskogee, Hughes, and Seminole.
Cities named as defendants in the case are Beggs, Bixby, Boley, Boynton, Bristow, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Checotah, Coweta, Cromwell, Depew, Dewar, Drumright, Eufaula, Glenpool, Haskell, Henryetta, Holdenville, Inola, Jenks, Kellyville, Kiefer, Mannford, Morris, Mounds, Muskogee, Oilton, Okemah, Okmulgee, Oktaha, Porter, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Summit, Tulsa, Wagoner, Weleetka, Wetumka and Wewoka.
The court filing said the plaintiffs represent themselves and all Native American persons who were members of a federally recognized tribe at the time they were prosecuted by the State of Oklahoma and or one of its political subdivisions within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation.
The court documents said there could be hundreds if not thousands of class members represented in the suit.
Mvskoke Media will continue to follow this story and report updates as they become available.
