Eyes on Justice Barrett in Oklahoma Indian Country Dispute (1)

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett could hold the deciding vote on Oklahoma’s effort to prosecute certain crimes committed on American Indian reservations following the landmark McGirt ruling.

Wednesday’s argument suggested the other eight justices might split on the contentious political issue in the state, following the 2020 decision hailed by tribes as a long-overdue affirmation of their sovereignty while state officials press contested claims of criminal chaos in its wake.

Justice Neil Gorsuch authored the 5-4 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which said the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s 19th-century reservation still stood. That meant the state couldn’t prosecute crimes ...