Supreme Court justices wrestle with Creek reservation case

MAY 11, 2020 - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday looked for clear answers — and maybe even a compromise — on whether Congress officially terminated the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s reservation at Oklahoma statehood. During oral arguments conducted by telephone, justices also sought to understand the extent of disruption that might result from a ruling that Oklahoma has been improperly trying criminal defendants within historical Creek boundaries for more than a century. Justice Neil Gorsuch, whose vote may be critical to the outcome of the case, seemed to align himself with the viewpoint that Congress never disestablished the Creek reservation.