Opinion ID: 1232435
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Various Interpretations of Territory

Text: Arizona's Uniform Act defines state to include any territory of the United States. Tracy argues that the language any territory comprehends only organized territories operating pursuant to congressional law and having a governor appointed by the president. See, e.g., In re Lane, 135 U.S. 443, 10 S.Ct. 760, 34 L.Ed. 219 (1890) (Oklahoma Indian Territory, which had no organized executive, legislative, or judicial branch, was not a territory for purposes of federal criminal statute); People ex rel. Kopel v. Bingham, 211 U.S. 468, 475-76, 29 S.Ct. 190, 192, 53 L.Ed. 286 (1909) (Puerto Rico is a territory under Lane definition for purposes of extradition of fugitive criminal). The Bingham-Lane definition of territory encompasses only organized territories that derive their power from Congress and is but one definition courts have given to territory. Significantly, this narrow and technical definition of territory originated at a time in this nation's history when the United States did not have the same relationship with various quasi-sovereign entities  i.e., Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, American Samoa  that it has today, and indeed, before Puerto Rico attained its quasi-sovereign status as a commonwealth. In cases since Bingham and Lane, the term territory has often been interpreted more broadly to serve the purposes of the statute or enactment under consideration. See, e.g., United States v. Standard Oil, 404 U.S. 558, 560, 92 S.Ct. 661, 662, 30 L.Ed.2d 713 (1972) (American Samoa is a territory for purposes of Sherman Act provision); [5] Puerto Rico v. Shell Co., 302 U.S. 253, 258-59, 58 S.Ct. 167, 169-70, 82 L.Ed. 235 (1937) (whether Puerto Rico comes within a given congressional act depends upon the character and aim of the act; Puerto Rico is not a territory within reach of sixth and seventh amendments, but may be considered a territory for purposes of the Sherman Act); Americana of Puerto Rico, Inc. v. Kaplus, 368 F.2d 431 (3rd Cir.1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 943, 87 S.Ct. 977, 17 L.Ed.2d 874 (1967) (Puerto Rico is a territory for purposes of federal full faith and credit statute); Securities & Exch. Comm'n v. Capital Growth Co., 391 F. Supp. 593 (S.D.N.Y. 1974) (Puerto Rico is a territory for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934); Wolfe v. Au, 67 Haw. 259, 686 P.2d 16 (1984) (Micronesia is a territory for purposes of the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, even though it is destined for nationhood rather than statehood); cf. Garcia v. Friesecke, 597 F.2d 284 (1st Cir.1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 940, 100 S.Ct. 292, 62 L.Ed.2d 306 (1979) (Puerto Rico is not a territory for purposes of the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 901-950). [6] From the authorities cited, it is clear that the term territory is susceptible of interpretation because it does not have a fixed and technical meaning that must be accorded to it in all circumstances. Americana of Puerto Rico, 368 F.2d at 436. Therefore, we must determine whether the Navajo Nation may properly be considered a territory within the meaning of Arizona's Uniform Act.