2020 Wyoming Statutes
Title 5 - Courts
Chapter 1 - In General
Section 5-1-111 - Full Faith and Credit for Tribal Acts and Records.

5-1-111. Full faith and credit for tribal acts and records.

(a) The judicial records, orders and judgments of the courts of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation shall have the same full faith and credit in the courts of this state as do the judicial records, orders and judgments of any other governmental entity, unless at least one (1) of the following conditions is shown not to be met:

(i) The tribal documents meet the authentication requirements of subsection (b) of this section;

(ii) The court is a court of record;

(iii) The court judgment is a valid judgment; and

(iv) The court certifies that it grants full faith and credit to the judicial records, orders and judgments of the courts of this state.

(b) To qualify for admission as evidence in the courts of this state:

(i) Copies of acts of a tribal legislative body shall be authenticated in accordance with the laws of the tribes and attested to by the appropriate tribal secretary;

(ii) Copies of records, orders and judgments of a tribal court shall be authenticated by the attestation of the clerk of the court. The seal, if any, of the court shall be affixed to the attestation.

(c) In determining whether a tribal court is a court of record, the Wyoming court shall determine that:

(i) The court keeps a permanent record of its proceedings;

(ii) Either a transcript or an electronic recording of the proceeding at issue in the court is available;

(iii) Final judgments of the tribal court are reviewable by a tribal appellate court; and

(iv) The court has authority to enforce its own orders through contempt proceedings.

(d) In determining whether a tribal court judgment is a valid judgment, the Wyoming court on the motion of a party may examine the tribal court record to assure that:

(i) The court had jurisdiction of the subject matter and over the person named in the judgment;

(ii) The judgment is final under the laws of the rendering court;

(iii) The judgment was procured without fraud, duress or coercion;

(iv) The judgment was procured in compliance with procedures required by the rendering court; and

(v) The proceedings of the court comply with the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 under 25 U.S.C. §§ 1301 to 1341.

(e) No lien or attachment based on a tribal court judgment may be filed, docketed or recorded in this state against the real or personal property of any person unless the judgment has been filed following the procedures set forth in W.S. 1-17-701 et seq.

(f) This section shall not apply to the Tribal Water Code nor any official documents, public acts, records or proceedings of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes related to water rights or the administration of water laws.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be deemed or construed to expand or limit the jurisdiction either of the state of Wyoming or the Eastern Shoshone or Northern Arapaho Tribes.