Colville Tribal Court

Steve Graham is an attorney available for private hire on criminal cases in Colville Tribal Court. Steve Graham has been licensed to practice in the Colville Tribal Courts since 1999. He has done several high-profile criminal jury trials in Tribal Court, including trials for DUI, Vehicular Homicide, Attempted Homicide, Marijuana Possession, Misuse of Public Funds, Fraud, and Embezzlement. Mr. Graham has done several hunting and fishing cases for non-members or members of other tribes. Steve Graham has also handled appeals of criminal cases in the Tribal Court of Appeals for the Colville Confederated Tribes.

In Colville Tribal Court, different rules apply then in state or federal court. The Tribe does not have formal rules of evidence that dictate a judge’s decision in admitting or not admitting evidence. Instead the rules of evidence are discretionary, and simply provide guidance to the court. Such is also the case with legal precedents from state and federal courts. The Colville Tribal Court of Appeals has its own body of legal precedents over the last decades that are available online. Because of the complex legal environment, it is helpful to have an attorney that is familiar with the process to help guide you through the system to help find a just result in your case.

In Colville Tribal Court, a defendant is protected by the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA) rather than the United States Constitution. The text of ICRA is very similar to the US Constitution, but none of the court cases that construe the Constitution are directly applicable to ICRA. For example, ICRA does not provide the right to an attorney at public expense when a person is charged with a crime. Accordingly, a defendant will be provided a spokesperson who may or may not be licensed to practice law in other jurisdictions.

Steve Graham was rated one of Spokane's top five criminal lawyers by the magazine Spokane - Couer d'Alene Living.

Free Consultation

If you would like to discuss your court case or circumstances with me, feel free to call. We do free consultations on criminal cases. Being the subject of a criminal case can be intimidating and can turn your life upside down, but it may not be as bad you think.