Case ID: f-appx_670/html/0452-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. William Tayler KIRKALDIE, Defendant-Appellee.
    No. 14-30109
    United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
    Submitted October 25, 2016 
    
    Filed November 01, 2016
    Lori Anne Harper Suek, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Office of the US Attorney, Billings, MT, for Plaintiff-Appellant
    Evangelo Arvanetes, Assistant Federal Public Defender, FDMT—Federal Defenders of Montana (Great Falls), Great Falls, MT, for Defendant-Appellee
    Before: LEAVY, GRABER, and CHRISTEN, Circuit Judges.
    
      
       The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
    
   MEMORANDUM

The government appeals from the district court’s order granting William Tayler Kirkaldie’s motion to dismiss his indictment for domestic abuse by a habitual offender under 18 U.S.C. § 117(a). We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

The district court dismissed the indictment on the ground that the government could not use Kirkaldie’s uncounseled tribal court convictions to prove an element of the offense. After the district court’s decision, the Supreme Court decided that the use of uncounseled tribal court convictions is permissible in a prosecution under section 117. See United States v. Bryant, — U.S. -, 136 S.Ct. 1954, 1966, 195 L.Ed.2d 317 (2016). We agree with the parties that remand is required under Bryant. Accordingly, we reverse the district court’s order dismissing Kirkaldie’s indictment and remand for further proceedings.

REVERSED and REMANDED. 
      
       This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.