Yesterday the Great Falls Tribune reported on alleged sex offenders and other alleged criminals who have safe haven on the Blackfeet Reservation because law enforcement officials from neighboring jurisdictions are not able to serve warrants or extradite suspects for prosecution.
Since the Blackfeet Nation is a sovereign entity, county deputy sheriffs lack the authority to enter the reservation to arrest the suspects. Rodney "Fish" Gervais, tribal spokesman, declined to address any specific case, but said that, in general, the tribe will decline to extradite its residents until it is able to negotiate government-to-government agreements with counties.
Warrants not being served to suspects on Indian reservations is an increasingly common problem, said outgoing Cascade County Attorney Brant Light.
"In fact, I'd say it's the norm by now," Light told the Tribune. "It's getting so bad that we've discovered cases of people who have our bench warrants outstanding against them being arrested on tribal charges on the reservation, but even then our bench warrants have gone unserved."
