Muskogee Phoenix

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Local/State

Section A, Page 5

Justice panel's report targets faulty verdicts

It suggests ways to reduce rate of wrongful convictions
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Innocence Project ranks the state among the top 10 for wrongful convictions, which a report issued Friday said could be lowered by law enforcement officers, attorneys and judges. The Oklahoma Justice Commission, formed by the Oklahoma Bar Association, unveiled its recommendations following a two-year study into convictions of people for crimes they didn't commit. The 33-member group's suggestions follow each step of the wrongful conviction process, from arrest to release. "It's not an indictment against law enforcement," Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty, a member of the commission, said. "It's just that you always want to try to do things better." The Oklahoma Innocence Project said more than a dozen people were exonerated last year in the state for crimes they didn't commit, several after a decade or more in prison. According to the commission's report, almost onethird of nationwide wrongful convictions in the past two decades involved false confessions, which can be given under pressure from investigators or out of fear or exhaustion. One of the report's major recommendations is to videotape interrogations and confessions to allow investigators, juries and judges to see for themselves. "It's something that's done a lot here already, but it's not done by every law enforcement agency," Citty said. "It adds a lot of credibility to investigations and some accountability when it goes to court." The report recommends adjusting photo and physical line-ups to prevent witnesses from thinking investigators want them to pick a particular person. It also calls on the state to adequately fund training for all criminal justice professionals and post-release services for those wrongfully convicted. The commission also suggested allowing DNA evidence to be available for investigations even after someone's conviction so that an innocent person can push for a retrial. According to the report, Oklahoma is the only state that doesn't allow post-conviction DNA testing. "There's going to be a pathway for these inmates that are incarcerated or even someone that may have passed on, a family member that wants to clear someone's name when they're actually innocent of a crime to have access to this new technology," said commission member Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing. Her bill to allow the testing has passed the House and is under consideration by the state Senate. Drew Edmondson, a former Oklahoma attorney general and the commission's chairman, said many of the recommendations could be voluntarily adopted by police departments and courts without legislation. Still, he added the report also recommends some legislative force behind the changes. A common theme throughout the report is what law enforcement stands to gain from its recommendations, saying investigators and the broader public could be more confident in investigations. "If the wrong guy is in prison, that means the guy that really did it is out on the streets," Edmondson said. "And nobody feels more strongly about that than the people who wear badges and enforce the law."

Pets of the week

Submitted photo

The pet of the week at the Muskogee Animal Shelter is Hershel. Hershel is a 5-year-old, neutered male beagle. He likes other dogs and loves kids. He would love a permanent home with room to run. The shelter has other dogs and cats in need of homes. If you can give Hershel or any of the other pets at the Muskogee Animal Shelter a home, visit the shelter, 4002 Border St., or call (918) 6846285. The shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. You can see other animals that are available for adoption at www.muskogeeonline.org/citydepartments/animalshelter/adoption or on Suddenlink Channel 14.

Submitted photo

The pet of the week from Coins 4 Critters is Lisa. She is a beautiful bobtail calico. Lisa has been spayed, dewormed and vaccinated. You can meet her and other cats and dogs for adoption at Petco, 936 W. Shawnee Bypass, or visit them online at www.coins4critters.org .

Second suspect in Tulsa apartment killings pleads not guilty

TULSA (AP) One of two brothers accused in the January shooting deaths of four women at a crimeplagued Tulsa apartment complex pleaded not guilty Friday to first-degree mur- hearing for April 2, the der and armed robbery. same day when his brother Special Judge Charles James Poore will appear in Hogshead entered the plea court. James Poore, 32, has on behalf of Cedric Poore, also pleaded not guilty. 39, and set his preliminary Cedric Poore appeared at Friday's brief arraignment via closed-circuit television from the Tulsa jail. The brothers have been held without bond since their arrests last month.

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Cherokee court says voting districts valid

TAHLEQUAH The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that the 15 Tribal Council voting districts are constitutional, states a media release. "The boundaries of these districts variously follow county lines, highways, rivers and ZIP code boundaries," Justice James Wilcoxen wrote in the Supreme Court's opinion. "Not in every instance are these districts contiguous or compact. This court does not find that there is a sufficient basis to interfere with the actions of the Tribal Council." In January, a Cherokee Nation District Court judge had also ruled that the Tribal Council had followed proper legal channels within the Cherokee Nation Constitution when a majority of council members voted to redistrict from five districts to 15 voting districts. A minority of the council appealed to the Supreme Court. The 15 districts were drawn to keep communities intact and provide each Tribal Council member about 7,000 Cherokee constituents per district. The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council consists of 17 elected positions with staggered four-year terms. Beginning with the June 22 election, there will be one council member serving each of the 15 districts. Two at-large council seats experience no change. Nine Tribal Council seats are up for election with candidate filings Monday through Wednesday. The Cherokee Nation Election Commission has hired geoinformation systems officials at the University of Oklahoma to help place citizens in new districts. Information: (918) 4585899.

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STILLWATER (AP) The Oklahoma State University/A&M Board of Regents has voted to award an honorary doctorate in science to Air Force Gen. Thomas Stafford, a retired astronaut. The regents met Friday in Stillwater. Stafford is a native of Weatherford who flew two Gemini space flights and commanded Apollo 10. He was also the commander of the joint U.S.Soviet space mission that connected the Apollo and Soyuz space vehicles in 1975. Stafford was also an Air Force pilot and later served as commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center. Now retired, he lives in Florida.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma City police say an undercover officer shot and killed a man after the officer interrupted a suspected drug transaction. Capt. Dexter Nelson said the officer opened fire when the man drove a car at the officer shortly after noon Friday in the parking lot of a convenience store. Nelson said the man was dead at the scene.

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