Order releases list of freedmen to court-appointed attorney

May 25, 2007 11:47 pm

— The court-appointed tribal attorney for the freedmen, Nate Young III, received a list of all 2,800 registered freedmen just for use in his litigation.
“We reached an agreed order,” Young said late Friday afternoon.
Young said he talked with Cherokee Nation Attorney General A. Diane Hammons and Cherokee Nation Election Commission Chairman Jim Cosby negotiated the agreement, Young said.
Young had filed a motion Thursday in Cherokee County District Court seeking the information needed in order to represent his clients, he said.
Young was appointed to represent 270 freedmen who had appealed their ouster by the tribe in a March 3 special election.
The tribal court reinstated the citizenship of the freedmen earlier this month and then announced an order reopening voter registration for the freedmen only that will end at 4:30 p.m. June 1.
Cherokee elder Marion Hagerstrand had asked the tribal District Court to modify the order and reopen registration to all Cherokees, not just freedmen.
But District Judge John Cripps ruled the freedmen were the only ones harmed by a shorter registration period of about 20 days. He noted other Cherokees had had the ample time given by tribal election law to register.
Hagerstrand has appealed that ruling to the Cherokee Supreme Court, which is expected to announce its ruling next week.

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