Lutz offers praise for other members of San Diego's Congressional delegation

San Diego County, Calif. (August 2, 2010) "Sharing data with tribal governments when the Justice Department declines to prosecute may help us solve open cases that occur on tribal land, and that makes sense," said Ray Lutz, Democratic Congressional Candidate for the 52nd District.

Lutz was responding to a recent vote by Congressman Duncan D. Hunter. Hunter voted against allowing tribal councils to prosecute rape suspects under their own laws and justice system when the defendant is an outsider accused of committing a rape on tribal land and the Department of Justice has declined to prosecute. Since a Supreme Court ruling in 1978, such cases have fallen into a "jurisdictional vacuum."

"After witnessing the horrible crimes against Chelsea King and Amber Dubois close to home, it's very sad to see Hunter siding with rapists and criminals," Lutz said. "It is just one more reason I am happy to be on the ballot to replace him."

Hunter was one of 92 Republicans to oppose The Tribal Law & Order Act of 2010 (HR-725). Local Congressmembers Darrell Issa (R-CA-49), Brian Bilbray (R-CA-50), Bob Filner (D-CA-51), and Susan Davis (D-CA-53) all voted for the bill.

A recent study by Amnesty International found that one in three Native American women will be raped during their lifetimes, more than double the rate for non-native women. Over 86 percent of rapes against Native American women are carried out by non-native men, according to the Justice Department.

Lutz, whose grandmother was Cherokee and who is a member of the Native American Caucus of the California State Democratic Party, applauded the passing of the bill.

"This is the type of work the Congress of the United States should be performing every day," Lutz said. "Why has it taken so long to happen?"

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