Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe

The Suquamish Tribe's (defendant's) law code asserted criminal jurisdiction over all crimes on the Port Madison Reservation regardless of the offender's status, and Oliphant (plaintiff), a non-Indian resident, was arrested and charged in tribal court with assaulting a tribal officer and resisting arrest; he sought habeas relief arguing the tribal court lacked jurisdiction over him as a non-Indian, which the district court and Ninth Circuit denied, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.