Native Federal Prosecutor Recognized for Superior Performance in Indian Country

A Native federal prosecutor and Tribal liaison has earned a national award for his work strengthening South Dakota’s ties with Tribal law enforcement officers, Tribal courts, Tribal social service agencies and Tribal decision-makers.

Troy Morley, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was given the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Indian Country by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and James Crowell, IV, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys at a June 20 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Troy Morley serves as a strong, dedicated, and essential Native American role model for federal prosecutors in Indian Country, the communities we serve, and the victims we seek to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “I am very pleased, though certainly not surprised, that his stellar performance has been recognized with this coveted award.”

According to a DOJ press release, Morley’s body of work, including both zealous prosecutions and his Tribal liaison outreach, exemplifies the very best of the Department of Justice’s efforts in Indian Country. His status as an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe enhances his ability to build bridges and promote cooperation among all levels of federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement.

Morley joined the U.S. Attorney’s office in Pierre, South Dakota, in May of 2012, and for over five years, he prosecuted violent crimes occurring on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. In June 2017, he transitioned to similar work on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations. He has been an exemplary prosecutor, winning convictions and long prison sentences for murderers, child molesters, online predators and domestic abusers.

Morley became the District’s Tribal Liaison in March 2015, and in that role has had a deep and holistic impact on Tribal communities throughout South Dakota. He has helped form working groups with state governments (both North Dakota and South Dakota) to implement reentry plans for individuals returning to the community after incarceration. He has worked closely with Tribal officials on pilot programs to exercise special domestic violence jurisdiction. Morley also serves as a mentor in a special program he developed for the Pierre Indian Learning Center, regularly coaching students about how to succeed in life and avoid bullying behavior. Morley has been a key voice in discussions surrounding the selection of Special Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to four of the state’s nine reservations: Standing Rock, Sisseton- Wahpeton, Flandreau, and Rosebud. His partnerships have also helped identify cases leading to successful federal prosecutions. For instance, Morley’s work with a Tribal SAUSA has identified repeat domestic abusers, leading to an appreciable uptick in the prosecution of habitual domestic violence offenders harming women and children in South Dakota.