806.245 Indian tribal documents: full faith and credit.

(1) The judicial records, orders and judgments of an Indian tribal court in Wisconsin and acts of an Indian tribal legislative body shall have the same full faith and credit in the courts of this state as do the acts, records, orders and judgments of any other governmental entity, if all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The tribe which creates the tribal court and tribal legislative body is organized under 25 USC 461 to 479.

(b) The tribal documents are authenticated under sub. (2).

(c) The tribal court is a court of record.

(d) The tribal court judgment offered in evidence is a valid judgment.

(e) The tribal court certifies that it grants full faith and credit to the judicial records, orders and judgments of the courts of this state and to the acts of other governmental entities in this state.

(1m) The public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of any Indian tribe that are applicable to an Indian child custody proceeding, as defined in s. 48.028 (2) (d), or an Indian juvenile child custody proceeding, as defined in s. 938.028 (2) (b), shall be given full faith and credit by the state as provided in s. 48.028 (3) (f) or 938.028 (3) (f).

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

(a) Copies of acts of a tribal legislative body shall be authenticated by the certificate of the tribal chairperson and tribal secretary.

(b) 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.

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

(a) The court keeps a permanent record of its proceedings.

(b) Either a transcript or an electronic recording of the proceeding at issue in the tribal court is available.

(c) Final judgments of the court are reviewable by a superior court.

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

(4) In determining whether a tribal court judgment is a valid judgment, the circuit court on its own motion, or on the motion of a party, may examine the tribal court record to assure that:

(a) The tribal court had jurisdiction of the subject matter and over the person named in the judgment.

(b) The judgment is final under the laws of the rendering court.

(c) The judgment is on the merits.

(d) The judgment was procured without fraud, duress or coercion.

(e) The judgment was procured in compliance with procedures required by the rendering court.

(f) The proceedings of the tribal court comply with the Indian civil rights act of 1968 under 25 USC 1301 to 1341.

(5) No lien or attachment based on a tribal court judgment may be filed, entered in the judgment and lien docket or recorded in this state against the real or personal property of any person unless the judgment has been given full faith and credit by a circuit court under this section.

(6) A foreign protection order, as defined in s. 813.128 (1g) (c), issued by an Indian tribal court in this state shall be accorded full faith and credit under s. 813.128.

History: 1981 c. 369; 1991 a. 43; 1995 a. 224, 306; 2009 a. 94; 2015 a. 352.

The prior action rule, which provides that when one court assumes jurisdiction, it is reversible error for another court to do so, does not apply to the court of an independent sovereign. In this case principles of comity required state and tribal courts to confer and allocate jurisdiction among themselves. Teague v. Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians, 2000 WI 79, 236 Wis. 2d 384, 612 N.W.2d 709, 98-3150; and 2003 WI 118, 265 Wis. 2d 64, 665 N.W.2d 899, 01-1256.

Full faith and credit does not require automatically admitting to the state bar any attorney who was admitted to a tribal court in Wisconsin. Bar Admission of Helgemo, 2002 WI 57, 253 Wis. 2d 82, 646 N.W.2d 912, 01-2611.