Blog

OU’s SAE Fraternity Faces Expulsion or Suspension

Following the release of a short video which captured racially charged content in a fraternity chant, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity at the University of Oklahoma is no more. Riding on a party bus, the chant  was captured which included some disturbing racial slurs including “there will never be a n—– in SAE.” The actions… read more…

Is a bartender responsible for over-serving you?

Does a bartender at a commercial business have any responsibility when serving alcohol? The answer is generally, yes. Under Oklahoma’s dram shop laws– laws governing bars that serve alcohol– a bartender who over-serves a visibly intoxicated patron can be held criminally liable, but, as discussed in greater detail below, there are several factors that make proving… read more…

What You Need to Know About OK Earthquake Insurance

There has been no shortage of controversy over the recent spike in earthquake activity in Oklahoma. Oklahoma had more earthquakes on record in 2014 than California and Oklahoma earthquake activity has been trending dramatically higher in the last three years. To give you an idea of how impressive this increase in activity is, Oklahoma experienced 567… read more…

Boating DUI bill passes House

The Oklahoma state House of Representatives has passed a bill to strengthen the penalties for boating while intoxicated. This firm previously covered the problems with Oklahoma’s boating while intoxicated laws. You can access that coverage here. House bill 1714 imposes new restrictions that compel the suspension of a person’s driver’s license. For a first offense,… read more…

Federal Appeals Court: Tasers are not a short-cut

Use of force events do not occur in a vacuum; they are generally governed by department policies that contain a use of force “spectrum” which define increasing levels of force, and the circumstances that justify moving from one level to the next. The spectrum typically ranges from no-force measures like “officer presence” up to the… read more…

Oklahoma has more prison homicides than any other state

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) show Oklahoma has the highest rate of prison homicides in the nation.  While Maryland comes in second,  the BJS indicate that Oklahoma inmates are killed at a rate more than three times the national average.  According to a story by The Associated Press, Oklahoma officials blame gang violence for giving… read more…

Your Fracking Right! Has Money Influenced Pro-Fracking Legislation?

Oklahoma Republican Jeff Hickman has introduced a bill that would prevent cities and towns from deciding whether to allow fracking in their jurisdiction. The measure is particularly concerning to people in cities and towns– population centers where increased seismic activity caused by fracking could have a devastating impact on property owners, especially where the property… read more…