Wood, Jessee & Curtis Win §1983 Dismissal
Attorneys Randall Wood, Sheila Jessee, and Jessica James Curtis successfully obtained an Order dismissing §1983 constitutional claims against cross-deputized officers in McCurtain County. The Court has ruled that the officers were acting under color of tribal law, not state law, when they arrested a Native American in Indian Country. Therefore, the officers cannot be sued under Section 1983. This issue was an issue of first impression in the country. This Order effectively creates new law within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
