Blog

    • Oklahoma Man Faces Death Penalty in First-Degree Murder Case

      May 16, 2013

      An Oklahoma man charged in the 2008 fatal shooting of two young Oklahoma girls and the 2011 death of his girlfriend will be tried for all three crimes at the same time next January, a judge ruled this week. Kevin Sweat, 27, was scheduled to be tried for the death of his girlfriend, Ashley Taylor, [...]

    • Oklahoma Man’s Rape Conviction Overturned by Appeals Court

      May 10, 2013

      An Oklahoma appeals court has overturned the conviction of an area man sentenced to 35 years in prison for rape. The defendant is currently confined to the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite, where he was set to serve a significant prison sentence for his rape conviction. If you have been charged with rape or another [...]

    • Should Juveniles Be Listed on Oklahoma’s Sex-Offender Registry?

      May 1, 2013

      In a new report warning about the lasting effects current registry laws can have on some youths, human rights advocates are urging government authorities to put a stop to the practice of placing juveniles’ names on publicly accessible sex-offender registries. According to sex crime laws, sex offenses range from rape to consensual sex between youths [...]

    • OK Man Plans to Sue for Wrongful Arrest After Being Cleared by DNA Evidence in Rape Case

      April 25, 2013

      An Oklahoma man was arrested and held in jail for 84 days before DNA evidence cleared him in the rape of his then-girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, and he now plans to sue the Creek County Sheriff’s Office for wrongful arrest and detention, which he claims was the result of negligence on the part of the investigators [...]

    • Oklahoma Residents Arrested for Selling Meth From Apartment

      April 19, 2013

      Oklahoma police arrested two people on April 1,who were accused of dealing drugs out of their apartment. Tura McLaughlin, 37, and Rocky Hanover, 23, were arrested on drug charges, taken into custody and have been booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center. If they are convicted of the drug charges, they could face considerable penalties, [...]

    • Oklahoma Grandmother’s Drug Case Dismissed at Preliminary Hearing

      April 9, 2013

      Darlene Mayes, a 74-year-old grandmother and Oklahoma resident who was accused last year of being the ringleader for a multi-state drug operation, had her charges dismissed at a preliminary hearing late last week, at the request of her defense attorneys. If you have been charged with a drug crime like marijuana distribution in Oklahoma, your [...]

    • Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct Claims Investigated at OK High School

      April 5, 2013

      A teacher and coach at Pawnee High School in Oklahoma is at the center of an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. According to Pawnee Superintendent of Schools, Ned Williams, “a basketball coach” has been suspended for up to ten days as permitted by law, although Williams [...]

    • Alternative to Prison for Nonviolent Women in Oklahoma

      March 26, 2013

      In Oklahoma, more women are incarcerated per capita, and more condemned prisoners are executed, than in any other state in the United States. This trend could change, however, with a program that is designed to provide an alternative to locking up nonviolent women convicted of crimes in Oklahoma. The program subjects these women to an [...]

    • Oklahoma Man Pleads Not Guilty to Multiple Drug Charges

      March 20, 2013

      An Oklahoma man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol pleaded not guilty to drug charges earlier this month in Crawford County Circuit Court. Twenty-four-year-old Chason Kyle Williams, is charged with possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver, possession of alprazolam with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, DWI on drugs, obstructing governmental [...]

    • OK Senate Approves Bill Requiring Criminal Background Checks

      March 16, 2013

      Legislation that would require public candidates to disclose if they have a criminal background is one step closer to being signed into law, as the Oklahoma Senate voted 43-0 for the measure on March 11 and sent it to the House for consideration. According to those in support of the bill, the public has a [...]

    • OK Man Convicted of Manslaughter in ODOT Worker’s Construction-Zone Death

      March 6, 2013

      A Washington County jury found an Oklahoma man guilty of first-degree manslaughter on March 1, in the death of an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) worker that occurred in November 2011. The jury convicted Deven Wayne Franklin on three charges, including two drug-related charges, and recommended a four-year prison term for the 20-year-old, who was [...]

    • Oklahoma House Committee Supports Reducing Marijuana Penalties

      February 27, 2013

      Under a new bill unanimously passed by a House panel, criminal penalties for marijuana possession in Oklahoma would be reduced significantly. Although, amid the national attention surrounding marijuana legalization bills proposed in numerous states, Oklahoma’s House Bill 1835 may seem like a small step, it could potentially affect hundreds of lives. A felony conviction can [...]

    • Oklahoma Man Arrested Following Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident

      February 18, 2013

      Police arrested an Oklahoma man late last month after an investigation into the death of Mary Beth Ward, following a fatal pedestrian accident that took place around 8:26 p.m. on January 22, in the 1300 block of South Van Buren. Anthony Michael Oller, 41, was arrested on complaints of first-degree manslaughter, driving under suspension and [...]

    • How Changes to Oklahoma’s Expungement Laws May Affect You

      February 11, 2013

      Changes have been made to Oklahoma’s laws regarding eligibility for the expungement of criminal records, and the bill detailing these changes was put into effect on November 1, 2012. It is extremely important that Oklahomans understand the variety of changes established by House Bill 3091, and how these modifications will affect the eligibility of certain [...]

    • Twenty-One Arrested in Oklahoma Methamphetamine Bust

      February 5, 2013

      The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) announced on January 31 that it arrested nearly two dozen people following a 10-month methamphetamine investigation in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. A spokesperson for the OBN reported that agents and officers from several departments fanned out around 6 a.m., armed with five search warrants and 21 arrest warrants for individuals charged [...]

    • Oklahoma Lawmakers Propose Bills to Expand Gun Rights

      January 30, 2013

      While the Obama administration calls for more stringent restrictions on access to guns, Oklahoma lawmakers are introducing dozens of bills that would make it easier for people to carry firearms in the state, even into state parks, public schools and government meetings. Understanding gun laws in Oklahoma is important, as being convicted on weapons charges, [...]

    • Charges Dismissed for Eight People Arrested in Oklahoma Meth-Ring Bust

      January 23, 2013

      Charges have been dismissed for eight Oklahoma residents who were charged in a 19-person methamphetamine-ring bust that took place in 2012. Charges against the 19 people originally arose from a joint local and federal investigation, and included multiple counts of possessing or purchasing pseudoephedrine after a prior methamphetamine charge or conviction. The reason for the [...]

    • Oklahoma Court Rejects Hearing for Inmate on Death Row

      January 15, 2013

      An Oklahoma appeals court has denied a request for an evidentiary hearing by a death-row inmate convicted in the fatal shooting of a convenience store clerk in Oklahoma City. The Arkansas man was convicted of first-degree murder, which, in Oklahoma, is punishable by a penalty of life in prison, life in prison without the possibility [...]

    • New Anti-Meth Law Goes into Effect in Oklahoma

      January 7, 2013

      With the start of the new year, Oklahoma rang in a new anti-meth law in an effort to crack down on meth labs throughout the state. Beginning on January 1, 2013, Oklahoma entered into a multi-state registry that keeps track of who is purchasing pseudoephedrine – a main ingredient in manufacturing meth – and who [...]

    • Oklahoma Band Teacher Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

      January 4, 2013

      A band teacher at a Putnam City school in Oklahoma was arrested last month on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography. According to the police investigation, the Oklahoma City man distributed numerous files containing pornographic images of children to a Guthrie police officer, an offense that could lead to severe penalties like incarceration, hefty [...]