Major Crimes Act

E642833

United States federal statute criminal law statute

The Major Crimes Act is a U.S. federal law that grants federal courts jurisdiction over certain serious offenses committed by Native Americans in Indian Country, significantly shaping the legal framework of tribal–federal criminal justice.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form	Occurrences
the Major Crimes Act is constitutional	1

Statements (45)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	United States federal statute ⓘ criminal law statute ⓘ
affects	tribal–federal criminal justice framework ⓘ
appliesTo	Indian Country NERFINISHED ⓘ Native Americans NERFINISHED ⓘ
category	United States federal Indian law legislation ⓘ
codifiedAs	18 U.S.C. § 1153 ⓘ
constitutionalBasis	Congress plenary power over Indian affairs ⓘ
controversy	criticized for undermining tribal sovereignty ⓘ
country	United States of America ⓘ
effect	expanded federal authority over crimes involving Native Americans ⓘ
enactedBy	United States Congress ⓘ
establishesJurisdictionOver	arson committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ assault resulting in serious bodily injury committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ assault with a dangerous weapon committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ assault with intent to commit murder committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ burglary committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ felony child abuse or neglect committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ felony domestic violence committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ felony sexual abuse offenses committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ incest committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ kidnapping committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ maiming committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ manslaughter committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ murder committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ robbery committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ
historicalContext	enacted in response to the Supreme Court decision in Ex parte Crow Dog ⓘ
interpretedBy	Supreme Court of the United States ⓘ
jurisdiction	federal courts of the United States NERFINISHED ⓘ
keyCase	United States v. Kagama NERFINISHED ⓘ
legalDomain	criminal law ⓘ federal Indian law ⓘ
limits	exclusive criminal jurisdiction of tribal governments over certain major offenses ⓘ
partOf	Title 18 of the United States Code NERFINISHED ⓘ
purpose	to grant federal courts jurisdiction over certain serious offenses committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ
regulates	federal criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country ⓘ
relatedTo	General Crimes Act NERFINISHED ⓘ Public Law 280 NERFINISHED ⓘ
relationshipToStateLaw	generally preempts state criminal jurisdiction over covered offenses involving Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ
relationshipToTribalLaw	does not eliminate concurrent tribal criminal jurisdiction over covered offenses ⓘ
requires	proof of Indian status of the defendant ⓘ proof that the offense occurred in Indian Country ⓘ
scopeOfApplication	applies when the defendant is an Indian and the offense occurs in Indian Country ⓘ
shortDescription	U.S. federal law granting federal courts jurisdiction over specified major crimes committed by Native Americans in Indian Country ⓘ
yearEnacted	1885 ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

United States in litigation involving Indian tribes → governedBy → Major Crimes Act ⓘ

United States federal Indian law and policy → includesStatute → Major Crimes Act ⓘ

United States v. Kagama → hasSubject → Major Crimes Act ⓘ

United States v. Kagama → held → Major Crimes Act ⓘ

this entity surface form: the Major Crimes Act is constitutional