In re Practice of Battles

I. MAJORITY OPINION

This is an important case because it calls upon the Court of Appeals to examine and define the authority of the Navajo judges in allowing individuals to practice law before them.

The case began with a petition of the Navajo Nation to extradite Richard L. Begay to the State of Arizona for the purpose of prosecution for an alleged offense. Mr. Begay appeared through his counsel, William P. Battles, and the prosecutor, Raymond Tso, moved to disqualify Battles from acting as counsel for Mr. Begay on the ground non-Indian "nonprofessionals" cannot appear as attorneys in the…