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Oklahoma County commissioners vote to drop lawsuit against OKC over jail site

The Oklahoma County Jail
Robby Korth
/
KOSU
The Oklahoma County Jail

Oklahoma County is dropping its lawsuit against Oklahoma City over the future site of the county jail.

The city and county have been battling over the future site of a new detention center for months. The county wants to put the new jail on a site near Del City, which critics point out is close to local schools and homes, but miles from the county courthouse and post-judicial services.

The city had tried to use zoning to block the county from using the site. So county commissioners sued last year.

In late December, Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an opinion stating it wasn’t necessary. Though county commissioners aren’t a “superior sovereign,” the county has immunity from OKC’s zoning powers concerning the jail site.

Oklahoma County commissioners unanimously agreed to drop the suit following the ruling, and they plan to proceed with jail construction.

When asked for comment by The Oklahoman, city officials said they had nothing to say for now.

Funding for the project remains an issue. Voters had approved $260 million, but projections show construction will likely cost double that figure. Despite that, commissioners have moved forward with a plan for a new Behavioral Care Center at the site.


This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.

Robby grew up in Ardmore, Oklahoma and Fayetteville, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Journalism degree. Robby has reported for several newspapers, including The Roanoke Times in southwest Virginia. He reported for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2019 through 2022, focusing on education.
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