The Oklahoma Supreme Court has invalidated a closely watched settlement between the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation that sought to define how criminal cases involving Native Americans would be handled within reservation boundaries. In State of Oklahoma ex rel. Stitt v. City of Tulsa, the court concluded the agreement was not enforceable under Oklahoma law because it lacked approval from the governor and the legislature.

The ruling is significant because the settlement had attempted to create a practical framework for Tulsa’s continued exercise of criminal jurisdiction in an area where tribal, municipal, and state authority have been heavily contested since McGirt reshaped the legal map in eastern Oklahoma.