Darrell R. Dowty began his service to the Cherokee Nation in 1999 with his appointment to the Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal. In that same year he served as a Delegate to the Cherokee Constitutional Convention, and served as Chief Justice of the Judicial Appeals Tribunal of the Cherokee Nation from 2001-2003 and as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation from 2003-2004. He currently serves as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Dowty also currently serves as an Associate Justice of the Kaw Nation Supreme Court. He serves on the Prairie Band Potawatomi District Court, the Sac and Fox Tribal District Court, and previously served the Kickapoo Tribal District Court. He was a Contract Attorney for the "Legal Aid to Victims" program with the "Spirits of Hope" Coalition in Del City, OK from 2004-2007.
Justice Dowty has over 25 years of service in the prosecutorial arena. He served from 1995-2003 as First Assistant District Attorney in Tahlequah, OK, with the primary responsibility for all major felony prosecutions in the four county district. He served from 1993-1995 in Stilwell, OK as Assistant District Attorney. Since 1994, Dowty has been responsible for prosecution of more than fifty jury trials, including thirty-three homicides.
Justice Dowty served from 1985-1992 on the District Attorneys' Council in Oklahoma City, Ok as Assistant Executive Coordinator. He was Director of Fiscal Operations for the statewide prosecutorial system, Director of Training/Meeting Planner for all Oklahoma prosecution personnel, and drafted and promoted legislation to benefit the prosecution system. Prior to that Dowty was First Assistant District Attorney in Bartlesville, OK, with the primary responsibility for major felony prosecutions in the 11th Prosecutorial District, including Washington and Nowata Counties.
Dowty received his Juris Doctorate in 1976 from the University of Denver. Prior to attending Law School, he earned a BSBA in Management from Tulsa University. He also attended Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore, OK, and Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS, and has been a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association since 1977.
While serving with the Oklahoma District Attorneys' Association, Dowty was awarded the ODAA Director's Award for Outstanding Service in 1988. He was named Outstanding Assistant District Attorney in 1982, and served as ODAA Secretary in 1981.
Dowty has served as Guest Lecturer to the Northeastern State University Criminal Justice Studies Program, Facilitator to the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, the Oklahoma District Attorneys' Council, and the Native American Domestic Violence Coalition.
Isaac Walkingstick, Dowty's maternal great grandfather served as the sheriff of Goingsnake District in Oklahoma Indian Territory from 1893-1894 when he was killed in the line of duty. Tahlequah, Ok, capital of the Cherokee Nation, is the location of Justice Dowty's private law practice, Darrell Dowty, PLLC. Go to www.dowtylaw.com for contact information.