Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Morongo Band of Mission Indians

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Morongo Indian Reservation Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating on Morongo Indian Reservation property, it can cause a lot of apprehension, mostly just from uncertainty of what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the competence, honesty and accuracy of a deputy sheriff, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you in having the police report properly written.  

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release may help lower one’s anxiety.  It is also good to know what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime or crimes that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime or crimes.  

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is smart to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be helpful to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, a bit of history about the town, city or area, and the most common types of crimes the department investigates to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful.  This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective and makes assumptions that may be wrong.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The City of Morongo Indian Reservation contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services on the Morongo Indian Reservation.  In other words, the Morongo Indian Reservation does not have its own police department.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department station in Banning operates as the station for the Morongo Indian Reservation.

The reservation is located at the base of the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains.  It is more than 35,000 acres in size.  On May 15, 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant established this and eight other reservations in the area by executive order.  Approximately 954 of the 996 enrolled tribal members live on the reservation.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe in California.  The main tribal groups are the Cahuilla and Serrano Indians, but also include the Cupeño, Luiseño and Chemehuevi Indians. 

The tribe opened a small bingo hall in 1983, which became the foundation of what is now one of the oldest Native gaming enterprises in California.  The government of Riverside County attempted to shut down the bingo hall.  The tribe joined with the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians in suing Riverside County in suing the local government, a case that eventually was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.  On February 25, 1987, the court upheld the right of sovereign Indian tribes to operate gaming enterprises on their reservations. 

The Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa was opened in 2004 in Cabazon.  It is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The hotel has 310 rooms and several restaurants.

For arrests along the I-10 freeways crossing the Morongo Indian Reservation, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Riverside County Jail, also called the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

Most cases arising on the Morongo Indian Reservation are brought at the Banning Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Riverside Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown Riverside.  Cases that may be filed at the Riverside Hall of Justice instead of at the Banning Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled one case arising out of the Morongo Indian Reservation and brought at either the Riverside Hall of Justice or the Banning Courthouse.  We would expect such cases to include, but not be limited to DUI, violation of a protective order, domestic violence, shoplifting, defrauding an innkeeper and possession of and / or sales of a controlled substance. 

 
However, we have received phone calls from people having criminal cases arising at the Morongo Indian Reservation and asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Morongo Indian Reservation often distrust local criminal defense attorneys as being social friends with prosecutors and judges, so they are unwilling to fight too hard to preserve their friendships, so we are considered as counsel instead because we are not located in Morongo Indian Reservation and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Below is the Google Map to the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Patrol.