United States v. Silas Cedric High Elk, Jr.

On February 28, 1989, Silas Cedric High Elk, Jr. struck and killed Gladys LeBeau while operating a motor vehicle on South Dakota Highway 63, which runs through the Cheyenne River Indian reservation. High Elk was charged with involuntary manslaughter under 18 U.S.C. § 1153 (1988), the Indian Major Crimes Act 1 . High Elk moved to dismiss the indictment for lack of jurisdiction, arguing that exclusive jurisdiction over highways in Indian land was assumed by South Dakota under Public Law 280, which allowed states to assume jurisdiction over Indian land within their boundaries, see Act of Aug.…