Brett Chapman
Brett Chapman is a highly experienced Oklahoma attorney who combines his comprehensive knowledge of Oklahoma law with a passion for justice that finds its roots in his unique family history.
Brett’s maternal great great great grandfather Chief White Eagle was the hereditary chief of the Ponca during the illegal Ponca Trail of Tears in 1877. His ancestor's against-all-odds fight for justice inspired him to become an attorney and seek justice for others.
Brett started his legal career by serving seven years in the District Attorney's Office, where he handled every kind of case possible, from misdemeanors to homicides. He also successfully changed Oklahoma's DUI case law as a prosecutor in 2015 by advocating for the change in a comprehensive legal briefing which persuaded the state's highest appellate court to change the law. See Alba v. State, 2015 OK CR 2, 341 P.3d 91.
Upon leaving the District Attorney's Office, he became a defense attorney for the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the BNSF Railway Company and defended both companies in complex wrongful death cases. His practice is now focused on criminal defense and advocating for Native American rights and tribal sovereignty in the spirit of his ancestors.
- University of Tulsa College of Law
- J.D. (2010)
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- University of Oklahoma
- B.A. (2007) | Political Science
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- Senior Litigation Attorney
- Tulsa DUI Guy
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- Represented numerous individuals in criminal matters in state and tribal courts for predominantly DUI and traffic-based offenses
- Assistant District Attorney
- Oklahoma District Attorneys Council
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- Prosecuted criminal cases of every type on behalf of the State of Oklahoma under three district attorneys in Eastern Oklahoma (Tulsa County, Wagoner County, Rogers County).
- “Should some Native Americans be exempt from paying Oklahoma income tax?”, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- KOCO News 5 ABC
- https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-native-american-income-tax/45851581
- “‘It’s not acceptable’: Attorney says justice system failed Oklahoma mass murder victims”, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- KTUL NewsChannel 8
- https://ktul.com/news/local/its-not-acceptable-attorney-says-justice-system-failed-henryetta-mass-murder-victims
- “‘There's no communication’: McFadden victim calls for public investigation”, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- KTUL NewsChannel 8
- https://ktul.com/news/local/theres-no-communication-mcfadden-victim-calls-for-public-investigation
- “McGirt Update”, Oklahoma Municipal Judges Association 2022 Fall Conference, Lawton, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Municipal League
- “Legal experts discuss impact of McGirt ruling”, Northeastern State University Institute on Global Security and Comparative Justice Fall 2021 Seminar Series, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Northeastern State University
- https://news.yahoo.com/legal-experts-discuss-impact-mcgirt-195200685.html
- Most Outstanding Male Domestic Violence Advocate
- Help in Crisis
- Awarded by a State of Oklahoma violence against women advocacy agency for work performed as a prosecutor specializing in domestic violence prosecutions.
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI)
- Awarded for the highest grade in the Native American & Indigenous Rights course at the University of Tulsa College of Law.
- International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom
- Director of Outreach for the First Nations of America
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- International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN)
- Commissioner, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law
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- Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
- Vice Chairman of the Tax Commission
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- Cherokee Nation
- ID Number: 850
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- Choctaw Nation
- ID Number: 424
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- Muscogee (Creek) Nation
- ID Number: 1107
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- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- ID Number: 30334
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- 10th Circuit
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- U.S. Supreme Court
- ID Number: 322005
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- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
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- United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
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- Native American Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals
- DUI & DWI
- Traffic Tickets
- Appeals & Appellate
- English
- Website
- brettachapman.com
Attorney says justice system failed Henryetta mass murder victims
Interviewed by the news for perspective on the failings of the State of Oklahoma’s criminal justice system after state officials released the violent sex offender Jesse McFadden who mass murdered six victims, including five minors, after years of court delays
Should some Native Americans be exempt from paying Oklahoma income tax?
Interviewed alongside Oklahoma’s governor and tribal leaders providing perspective and expertise on a complex taxation issue stemming from the United States Supreme Court’s landmark McGirt ruling in 2020 in criminal cases