Sigmund Popko, professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, is quoted in a story in the Feb. 1 Wall Street Journal headlined "Native Americans on Trial Often Go Without Counsel."

The story, written by Gary Fields, points out that a defendant's right to legal counsel is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, but not on Indian reservations.

"That's because under U.S. law, Indian tribes are considered sovereign nations, and are not subject to all privileges afforded by the Bill of Rights," Fields writes.

"The Constitution acts as a floor beneath you that no state can go below," Popko, a former federal public defender, told the reporter. "For Native Americans, that floor doesn't exist."

To read the article, go to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117030150465294654.html