Blackfeet Nation gets $500,000 prosecution grant

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Blackfeet Nation announced that nearly $500,000 in U.S. Department of Justice funding has been awarded to the tribe, based in Browning, to assist with violent crime prosecutions in tribal court and in U.S. District Court.

The department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the tribe $499,774 as part of the Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorney Program. The funding will be used to hire a tribal prosecutor, who also will be designated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a special assistant United States attorney. The prosecutor, who will be required to be a law-trained attorney, will be able to work not only in tribal court but also present major criminal cases in federal court under the direction of U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The grant will assist the Blackfeet tribe’s current prosecution program.

“This opportunity and much needed funding provided through the DOJ provides our tribal courts prosecution division with a professionally trained attorney who will assure timely prosecution of violent crime in tribal court and assist in bringing serious crimes into federal court,” Blackfeet Chairman Timothy F. Davis said. “We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to improving public safety for the people of the Blackfeet Nations.”

According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, the grant will help the Blackfeet Tribe increase the prosecution of violent offenses in tribal court and assist in bringing serious crimes into federal court.

“The program will help reduce violent crime, including drug-related activity, and improve public safety,” Alme said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the tribal prosecutor’s office to ensure public safety on the reservation.”