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6 

OKLAHOMA v. CASTRO-HUERTA 

Opinion of the Court 

or Congressional enactment each state ha[s] a right to ex-
ercise  jurisdiction  over  Indian  reservations  within  its 
boundaries.”  New York ex rel. Ray v. Martin, 326 U. S. 496, 
499 (1946).

In 1992:  “This Court’s more recent cases have recognized 
the rights of States, absent a congressional prohibition, to
exercise  criminal  (and,  implicitly,  civil)  jurisdiction  over 
non-Indians  located  on  reservation  lands.”  County  of  Ya-
kima v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakima Nation, 
502 U. S. 251, 257–258 (1992). 

And as recently as 2001:  “State sovereignty does not end 
at a reservation’s border.”  Nevada v. Hicks, 533 U. S. 353, 
361 (2001).

In  accord  with  that  overarching  jurisdictional  principle 
dating back to the 1800s, States have jurisdiction to prose-
cute crimes committed in Indian country unless preempted.
In the leading case in the criminal context—the McBratney 
case from 1882—this Court held that States have jurisdic-
tion to prosecute crimes committed by non-Indians against 
non-Indians in Indian country.  United States v. McBratney, 
104 U. S. 621, 623–624 (1882).  The Court stated that Colo-
rado had “criminal jurisdiction” over crimes by non-Indians 
against non-Indians “throughout the whole of the territory
within  its  limits,  including  the  Ute  Reservation.”    Id.,  at 
624.  Several years later, the Court similarly decided that 
Montana had criminal jurisdiction over crimes by non-Indi-
ans  against  non-Indians  in  Indian  country  within  that 
State.  Draper  v.  United  States,  164  U. S.  240,  244–247 
(1896).  The McBratney principle remains good law.

In  short,  the  Court’s  precedents  establish  that  Indian 
country  is  part  of  a  State’s  territory  and  that,  unless
preempted, States have jurisdiction over crimes committed 
in Indian country. 

III 
The  central  question  that  we  must  decide,  therefore,  is