New Mexico Tribal Reservations Use Collection Agencies for Traffic Tickets

Uy. Who out there wants to explain this KOB-TV story covering the intersection of tribal law and non-tribal law when it comes to traffic tickets and collection agencies to me?

There’s a stretch of road west of Albuquerque* on I-40 that could use a little more legal clarification: “If State Police officers or sheriff departments’ deputies pull over a driver there is one set of laws, but if a tribal officer pulls someone over on the same stretch of road, another set of law applies.”

[The one time I was in Albuquerque — when I was 12 — I discovered both the TV series “Kate & Allie” and heard my first shooting death in the parking lot of the motel we were staying at.]

I’m fine up to there — I get it. But then it all sort of devolves from there. Collection agencies are involved; some people can be sent to them, but not others? Maybe? And the reservation gets a cut from the agency that it doesn’t have to share with the state?

Ugh. NOT WELL WRITTEN, Gadi Schwartz of 4 on Your Side.

If you can parse this out, PLEASE comment. Also, if you’re an agency that works with reservations/tribes in any capacity, I have some other questions — either on or off the record — that I’d love to ask.