Local News

Indigenous Affairs

KOSU is committed to being more reflective of the audiences we serve. In Oklahoma, having stories reported by Indigenous reporters for Native communities is imperative.

Jimcy McGirt appears in Seminole Court for arraignment

KOSU | By Katie Hallum

Published September 11, 2024 at 5:25 AM CDT

Jimcy McGirt's defense attorney, Richard O'Carroll, outside Seminole Nation tribal court in Wewoka, Okla.

Jimcy McGirt, a Seminole Nation citizen and the man behind the landmark McGirt case, faced Seminole Nation Chief District Judge Steve Barnes through a conference call for his arraignment in the Seminole Nation tribal court.

The charges brought against McGirt include a felony and two misdemeanors, all centered around his sex offender status. During the proceeding, Judge Barnes set a bond on two of the charges, both in the amount of 250,000.

According to Richard O’Carroll, McGirt’s attorney, his client won’t be going anywhere regardless of the bonds due to a detainer set on him by the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

A detainer is an order to hold someone in jail due to violating probation or a parole. McGirt was on supervised release through a federal Oklahoma court and violated the terms of this release by having charges filed against him.

“I've attempted to get the state to agree to pass this, to trail that,” O’Carroll said. “They wouldn't agree, so this is going to trial.”

O’Carroll says he and his client accept the interpretation of the charges against McGirt, and will move forward with a pending trial.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 15.