Letter From Suspended Cherokee Nation District Court Judge

Letter From Suspended Cherokee Nation District Court Judge Tina Glory Jordan To The Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal (supreme court) Justices.

CHEROKEE NATION DISTRICT COURT
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
Phone: (918) 458-6299
Fax: (918) 458-6298

Tina Jordan, District Judge
DeWayne Littlejohn, Associate District Judge
Feb. 6, 1998

Ralph F. Keen
Judicial Appeals Tribunal
602 Magnolia Drive
Tahlequah, OK 74464

Dwight W. Birdwell
Judicial Appeals Tribunal
217 North Harvey, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Phillip] H. Viles, Jr.
Judicial Appeals Tribunal
P.O. Box 700414
Tulsa, OK 74170

Dear Justices:

I am in receipt of a Feb. 3, 1998, letter from the Special Committee of the Cherokee Nation Council requesting that the JAT Justices and the District Court Judges devise a joint plan for office space and support staff for both tiers of the Court System to utilize the Cherokee Nation Courthouse for both the District Court and the Judicial Appeals Tribunal.

It is believed if the District Court can rent a separate floor of the courthouse, with the present District Court Clerk, Lisa Hall, operating a separate business office for the District Court and a separate budget to be utilized by the District Court that both tiers of the court system could maintain their independence yet co-exist in the same building. It is respectfully requested, that the District Court be allowed to rent a floor of the Courthouse.

I am prepared to participate in the relocation of the Court Clerk’s Office of the District Court, Judges’ offices of the District Court, files and equipment of the District court to the Courthouse, utilizing the line item of the self-governance budget provided for the District Court for rent, to pay for space at the Courthouse. It is believed the District Court could utilize up to two days a week use of courtroom space. For other hearings, we can conduct such in our offices. Within this floor space the Clerk of the District Court, Lisa Hall, having been duly appointed as the Clerk of Cherokee Nation District Court would be provided sufficient separate office space to maintain the business office of the District Court. One of the three vaulted areas could be used solely by the Clerk of the District Court to maintain District Court files that will be under the sole control of the District Court.

The budget, assignment of cases, when to hold court and day to day operations of the District Court would continue to be left to the District Judges Status reports would continue to be given on a quarterly basis as to filing and description of court cases by the District Court to the Judicial Appeals Tribunal The District Court would continue to be subject to the appellate review of cases appealed to the Judicial Appeals Tribunal.

The Judicial Appeals Tribunal should immediately rescind and/or vacate and hold for all naught all orders entered against any Judges of the District Court.

Please advise me as to a convenient time to meet if you desire to enter a joint plan to the Committee prior to its February 11 deadline I will meet with the Committee to submit my suggestion for a reasonable resolution to the identified issues on February 12 or at a time requested by the subcommittee if no joint plan can be prepared.

Sincerely,

/S/ TINA JORDAN, District Court Judge

cc: Cherokee Nation Tribal Council
DeWayne Little John
Drew Wilcoxen