Sheriffs ... spoke in favor of HB155, sponsored by Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, which proposes to limit BLM rangers and forest protection officers from exercising police power over state and local laws unless someone's safety is at risk or federal contracts are in place with local police agencies.
"You cannot use our (laws) to arrest our people and issue citations," Noel said. "We don't believe they ever had that authority. Our chief law enforcement officer is the locally elected sheriff who is accountable to the people every four years."
Noel tapped the expertise of Mark Ward, an attorney with the Utah Association of Counties, to explore the legal ramifications of the bill and where police power appropriately rests over federal, state and local criminal behavior.
If that indian reservation has “separate nation” status, a serious question arises. Can the Sheriff allow jailing of a USA citizen by a foreign power or the agents of said foreign power.
I doubt the tribe agreed in writing to follow American/Utah laws, as they make a great deal of their ‘sovereignty’ and ‘separate nation’ status.
It would appear the inter-agency agreement is a de facto removal of the rights of any American ‘charged’ by the reservation police.
Indian ‘law’ is totally different than US law. For example, an Indian drove his girl friend’s SUV into a canal with several children inside. He did a “Swimmer” but they drowned.
Despite agency agreement about felonies being dealt with in Federal court, the Indian “Swimmer” never saw the inside of a Federal Court.
Abuses by Tribal Police would be similarly difficult to redress.
Problems, problems.