Curley v. Navajo Nation

Opinion delivered by

YAZZIE, Chief Justice.

The petitioner for a writ of habeas corpus asks the Court to consider the denial of a request to withdraw a plea of no contest to criminal charges and to retroactively apply the sentencing provisions of amendments made to the Navajo Nation Criminal Code in January of 2000 to the original sentence.

Theodore Curley (“Curley”) was arrested for public intoxication on the highway east of Ganado on January 1,1999, at 7:55 p.m. About fifteen minutes later he allegedly escaped by kicking out the window of a police van. He was then re-arrested and charged with…