CHAIR
Hon. Patrick Irvine

STAFF
David Withey
dwithey@courts.az.gov

Forum Sponsored Statutes and Rules

• Extradition of persons to and from Indian jurisdiction

• Tribal Court Involuntary Commitment Orders

• Certified Question of Law

• Rules of Recognition for Tribal Court Judgments

The interaction of federal court jurisdiction with tribal court and state court jurisdiction in Arizona results in unique opportunities for cooperation between state, federal and tribal judiciaries.  Recognizing this interaction, the Arizona State and Tribal Court Forum, formed in 1990 under the auspices of the Conference of Chief Justices, recommend creation of an ongoing colloquium, which includes state, tribal and federal members and operates based on Administrative Order 2004-36.  

In response to this recommendation and the continuing work of the original Forum, in 1994 the chief judges of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the District Court of Arizona appointed judges to serve on such a body.  Chief judges and justices of Indian tribes and nations throughout Arizona also expressed interest in participating in this court forum.