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Failure to Report Abuse Can Result in Liability

A social worker who intentionally or maliciously leaves a child in a foster home, and who refuses to accept evidence of abuse, is potentially liable under federal civil rights laws, according to a decision issued yesterday by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. In Estate of BIC v. Gillen, ___ F.3d ___ (10th Cir. December… read more…

Boating Accident Highlights Difference with DUI Law

Jay Middle School principal Roger Shane Carroll of Eucha, will stand trial in Delaware County District Court for first-degree manslaughter and reckless operation of a vessel following a boating accident last July that claimed the life of Monte Price, also from Jay.  The accident highlights the substantial difference in penalties between boating under the influence and… read more…

Excessive Force Verdict Contradicts Police Investigation

On Monday a jury awarded $306,000.00 to a man for damages sustained after police used excessive force when the man questioned their authority to arrest him for standing on a sidewalk. Jurors found that police falsely arrested, battered and maliciously prosecuted Gallagher Smith after he quarreled with a doorman on Nov. 13, 2010. . …. read more…

Inmate Death at Oklahoma Prison in McAlester

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced the death of offender Mark Stacey, 43.  Mr. Stacey was serving time for drug related offenses.  The news release did not specify who discovered Stacey, or whether DOC had assigned a cell partner to live with him.  The report indicated that Stacey’s body did not show signs of trauma… read more…

Rollover Car Accident Claims 1 Injures 5

A rollover car accident claimed the life of a Muskogee woman and injured five others around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.  Tiffany Borovitz was killed when the 1995 suburban she was operating left the roadway and rolled over six times on the Muskogee Turnpike.  Clara and Quentin Chaplin, Dylan and Jordan Borovetz, and Christopher Crutchfield were also injured in… read more…

Texting, Sneezing and Distracted Driving

A local Tulsa teen was involved in a rollover accident Tuesday evening that resulted from texting-while-driving.  Although Oklahoma has not passed any law specifically addressing the issue of texting-while-driving, the State did pass a law in 2003 that prevents people from driving while distracted. Title 47, Section 11-901b of the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:… read more…

Tulsa County Jail Exceeds Capacity

The Tulsa County Jail is overcrowded.  It exceeded the maximum capacity of 1, 714 inmates on Monday afternoon.  The population count stood at 1,867.  Although population generally ebbs and flows, hitting capacity should alert county leaders that expansion plans must begin sooner rather than later.  When planning, development, funding and construction time are factored in,… read more…

Private Prisons: Is the Fox Guarding the Hen House?

Who are the watchdogs supervising America’s private prison industry?  And what measures are in place to ensure adequate supervision over these companies? Under a typical scenario, a private prison company bids to operate a facility.  If the bid is awarded, the prison operator and the government generally negotiate the terms of a multi-year contract.  These… read more…

TPD Identifies Officers Involved in Shooting of Donald Hallett

The Tulsa Police Department has released the names of four officers involved in the shooting death of Donald Hallett.  The officers identified by the TPD include Matt Hart, Eric Spradlin, David Brice and Chris O’Keefe. According to the TPD, the officers were compelled to shoot Hallett after he pointed a shotgun at them while fleeing… read more…

Arrest Warrant Issued for Oklahoma City Police Officer

The Daily Oklahoman is reporting that an arrest warrant has issued for one of its police officers: An arrest warrant has been issued for an Oklahoma City police officer accused of punching a man at a bar while off duty. . . Police Capt. Dexter Nelson confirmed Friday that Officer Kris Hunter has been charged in… read more…