Tribal Court

The Shingle Springs Tribal Court Provides a Culturally-Sensitive, Independent Judicial Forum

Indian tribes retain inherent sovereign powers over their members and territory. In 2009, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians established a Tribal Court to uphold the Tribe’s codes and ordinances and enforce state court orders. California is a Public Law 280 state, where tribes retain civil and some criminal jurisdiction. While the Tribal Court cannot give legal advice, we can assist with a wide variety of issues.

Attorneys and Lay Advocates

Chief Judge Victorio L. Shaw presides over the Shingle Springs Tribal Court. All attorneys and lay advocates must be admitted to the Shingle Springs Tribal Court Bar before appearing in any tribal court or administrative forum.

Family Wellness Court: A Collaborative Path to Healing

The Family Wellness Court hears cases involving Tribal youth and adults.

Two judges, one from the Shingle Springs Tribal Court and one from the Superior Court El Dorado County, hear cases together. This court offers one unified proceeding designed to better address the wellness of the family.

Hon. Victorio L. Shaw, Chief Judge of the Shingle Springs Tribal Court, and Hon. Gary S. Slossberg, Superior Court El Dorado County, oversee the tribal-state joint jurisdiction court.

The Family Wellness Court was established in 2015 largely through the dedicated work of former Chief Judge Christine Williams and retired Presiding Judge of the Superior Court El Dorado County Suzanne N. Kingsbury. This court, the first of its kind in California and the second in the nation, continues to serve as a model for other tribal and state courts.