Two members of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board are leaving.
Board chairman Richard Smothermon and member Cathy Stocker submitted their letters of resignation earlier this summer. They agreed to stay through the board’s August meeting. Smothermon has served on the board since July 2021 and Stocker joined last year.
Gov. Kevin Stitt already appointed Stocker’s replacement: former district attorney Kevin Buchanan. The Oklahoma Supreme Court will choose the other replacement.
The five-member board votes on all death row inmates’ clemency hearings. The governor has final say in the matter, but can only act if the board should recommend clemency for an inmate.
The next clemency hearing for Phillip Hancock, who fatally shot two men in Oklahoma City in 2001, is scheduled for November.
Several local civil and human rights organizations are calling for an investigation into the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s recent decision to drop charges against several police officers involved in fatal shootings.
The People’s Council for Justice Reform, the Oklahoma City chapter of the NAACP, and other organizations held a press conference last week to address their concerns over Oklahoma County DA Vicki Behenna’s recent dismissal of criminal charges against the seven police officers involved in three fatal shootings from 2020.
The advocates say the charges, originally filed by former DA David Prater, were justified and that Behenna’s decision to drop them was a political move. They also say Behenna’s decision to hire Clarence Chapman, a former police chief from California, as a use of force expert created a conflict of interest.
They are calling on the Oklahoma Attorney General, the U.S. Attorney General, and the U.S Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to investigate the matter.
A person is in critical condition after a plane crash in Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Shortly before 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon officials responded to a plane crash near I-44 and Broadway Extension. The incident shut down traffic.
Authorities say the only person onboard was the pilot. Officials say that the pilot had to do an emergency landing and struck power lines before crashing. No vehicles were hit by the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
As Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt clashes with state legislators over financial agreements with tribal nations, he’s taking a problem with turnpike tolling into his own hands.
Stitt announced he’d sent Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. a letter about extending the tribe’s car tag compact, which was set to expire this month.
But the state legislature has already approved a compact extension. They overrode Stitt’s veto on it the same day he announced he was suing Senate Pro Temp Greg Treat and House Speaker Charles McCall to determine who has the authority to negotiate compacts with tribes.
Stitt’s compact extension offer contains language to address an issue turnpike license plate readers have with billing tribal tags. Hoskin says changing the compact isn’t necessary because the Cherokee Nation is already committed to working with state agencies to address the turnpike tolling problem.
The University of Oklahoma welcomed its largest freshman class in school history Friday. Nearly 5,000 students gathered for the Class Kickoff event held Friday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
With more than 5,100 students, the Class of 2027 is also breaking additional university records, with the largest percentage of first-generation students than any other incoming freshman class and more underrepresented students than any other year.
The Class of 2027’s size represents a 10% increase in new students over last year.
Classes at OU begin Aug. 21.
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