After accepting a plea deal to charges of negligent homicide in a Bethel court on Monday, Derek Adams of Nunam Iqua has been sentenced to four years in prison and a decade of probation.
Adams has already served his jail time while awaiting sentencing, and is now a free man. The sentencing comes after three villages banished Adams for a range of reasons which include starting a fire that killed three people. Adams' case has highlighted a debate over the state's obligation to respect tribal court decisions. After the sentencing hearing adjourned, KYUK’s Adrian Wagner met with Lisa Demer of the Alaska Dispatch News to discuss the decision.