Senate Confirms Bacharach for Tenth Circuit

On Monday, February 25, 2013, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Robert Bacharach for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.  The Senate confirmed Judge Bacharach 93-0 after Republicans delayed a vote on his confirmation for 263 days. Bacharach, 53, has been a U.S. magistrate judge since 1999 for the Western… read more…

Tulsa Police Kill Man in Apparent “Suicide by Cop”

An apparent  “suicide by cop” scenario has unfolded in South Tulsa.  An officer with the Tulsa Police Department killed a hispanic man on February 16 following a stand-off that lasted several hours.  According to reports, police officers converged on an apartment near the 7100 block of South Granite responding to a call from the man’s… read more…

Oklahoma Supreme Court Affirms State Constitutional Rights

In a 7-2 opinion issued this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed that citizens have a state constitutional right against the use of excessive force inside jail facilities throughout the state. Prior to this week’s ruling, counties and public trust authorities that operate county jails had taken the position that no such right existed, and… read more…

HIV and Inmates: Are Jails Failing to Educate?

HIV positive inmates in local jails and prisons are not a group that correctional facilities can continue to ignore.  According to Centers for Disease Control reported that for the years from 1999 to 2006, the prevalence of confirmed AIDS among the prison population was between 2.7 and 4.8 times higher than in the general U.S. population. No small… read more…