Currently the tribes are authorized to operate their own courts, not as a right of tribal sovereignty, but under a federal law.Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, Jun. 18, 1934, ch. 576 ; Box, at 15-16. As of 2007, about half of the federally recognized tribes have tribal courts.Box, at 14. The power of these courts was limited to minor crimes with a maximum punishment of a $5,000 fine and imprisonment of no more than one yearIndian Civil Rights Act of 1968, April 11, 1968, . until the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. Under this new act, tribes may sentence offenders for up to three years per offense and a $15,000 fine.Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, Jul. 29, 2010, . As a result of Crow Dog and ensuing legislation, jurisdiction in Indian country is complex, as shown by the following table:Matthew Handler, Tribal Law And Disorder: A Look at a System of Broken Justice in Indian Country and the Steps Needed to Fix It, (2009).
