Audio Clip
Navajo Supreme Court Chief Justice Retires
law.asu.edu
Herb Yazzie
Navajo Nation Supreme Court Chief Justice Herb Yazzie, who has come under fire for disqualifying a presidential candidate who refused to prove he spoke Navajo fluently, announced his retirement Wednesday.
Chief Justice Herb Yazzie said in a statement his family is concerned for his wellbeing and urged him to retire.
After the Supreme Court disqualified presidential candidate Chris Deschene, the Navajo council circulated a petition and filed a resolution to remove the long-standing chief justice.
Yazzie said the Supreme Court’s “decisions were based on a thorough analysis of the law” and “it cannot pick and choose which law applies.” The Navajo Nation government added the fluency qualification in 1999.
Navajo voters will decide next month whether to keep or throw out the language requirement.
