The Pascua Yaqui Tribe was one of three initial tribes selected by the U.S. Department of Justice to pilot enhanced criminal court jurisdiction pursuant to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2013. This law vested tribes with the authority, subject to certain conditions, to arrest, and prosecute non-Indians who commit certain domestic violence crimes within their territory. 

In 2009, the Yurok Tribe entered into agreements with Del Norte and Humboldt Counties to exercise concurrent jurisdiction over non-violent cases involving Yurok offenders.The agreements authorize the state and tribal courts to share responsibility for supervising eligible offendersand establish protocols for transferring cases to the tribal court’s Wellness Court for treatment, culturally-relevant services, and compliance monitoring.