Court Opinion

ID: 9538044
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:28:52.581228+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:57:23.781255
License: Public Domain

*405LUMPKIN, Judge,
specially concurring.
I concur with the Court’s decision in this case and write to address the factors which must be considered by the trial court in determining if Appellant is an Indian under federal law.
This Court has set forth two elements which must be satisfied before the status of an individual can be determined. See Goforth v. State, 644 P.2d 114 (Okl.Cr.1982). In Goforth the Court held that the Appellant must establish (1) that he has a significant percentage of Indian blood, and (2) he must be recognized as an Indian either by the federal government or by some tribe or society of Indians. 644 P.2d at 116. This burden of proof must be met by the person seeking to claim the status.