Opinion ID: 213533
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Samuel Ray Wilgus and the Original Offense

Text: Although not born Native American and having been raised a Baptist, Samuel Ray Wilgus turned to Native American religion after his first marriage ended in the mid-1980s. Wilgus, 606 F.Supp.2d at 1311. He moved to Utah, where he lived with enrolled members of the Southern Paiute Nation; Wilgus eventually became a blood brother to Wilford Jake, a Paiute. Id. Over the course of his religious training and service, Wilgus was given a number of eagle feathers by Native Americansboth members of the Southern Paiute Nation and other tribesas gifts. Id. at 1312. Though he received some of the feathers purely as gifts, there is no dispute that at the very least the first feather he received was for religious purposes. Id. at 1312 n. 7. On June 5, 1998, a speeding truck in which Wilgus was a passenger was pulled over by the Utah Highway Patrol. Id. at 1312. The officer observed what appeared to be drug paraphernalia, but upon searching the back of the truck found 137 eagle feathers that belonged to Wilgus. Id. Upon searching Wilgus' home, his (second) wife produced four more feathers; when Wilgus could not produce a permit for their possession, all of the feathers were confiscated. Id. Wilgus insisted that he was an adopted member of the Paiute tribe, and thus was entitled to possess the feathers, but the Chairperson of the Tribe pointed out to the authorities that Paiute law does not permit the adoption of non-Native American persons. [2] Id. For violation of the Eagle Act, Wilgus pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts carrying twelve months' probation and a special assessment of $50. Id. Wilgus' plea was conditioned upon his appeal of what he saw as a violation of his religious rights. [3] Id. at 1312-13.