Oklahoma

Afternoon Briefs: Suit tossed over ‘stateless’ BigLaw partners; Lafayette Square claims dismissed

Perkins Coie wins suit dismissal because of ‘stateless’ partners The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago has ruled that former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page can’t sue Perkins Coie for defamation in federal court. Page had alleged that the law firm and the Democratic National Committee retained Fusion…

Jun 22, 2021 4:53 PM CDT

Arizona reportedly prepares gas chamber for execution by cyanide, the gas used at Auschwitz

Arizona officials have “gone to considerable lengths to revive the state’s mothballed gas chamber,” according to a recently released report by the Guardian.

Jun 7, 2021 9:02 AM CDT

Oklahoma attorney general abruptly announces resignation; his office is sorting out tribal case decision

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced his resignation Wednesday—a day after the Oklahoman submitted questions to him about an affair with a state employee.

May 27, 2021 1:24 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: DOJ civil rights nominee defends letter; lawyer charged in triple murder

DOJ civil rights nominee defends satirical letter Kristen Clarke, the president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, defended her past statements and writings Wednesday during a hearing on her nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Republicans are troubled by a 1994 letter…

Apr 15, 2021 4:42 PM CDT

For first time in history, federal government carried out more civilian executions than all 50 states

Ten federal inmates were executed this year as a result of a push by the Department of Justice, putting the total number of federal executions above that of all 50 states combined.

Dec 17, 2020 3:07 PM CST

DOJ rule change would allow some executions by firing squad and electrocution

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published a final rule change that would allow federal executions to be carried out in any manner allowed in the state where the death sentence was imposed.

Nov 30, 2020 2:23 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump pardons Michael Flynn; lawyer suspended for cyberattack knowledge

Trump pardons former national security adviser Flynn President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia probe and then sought to withdraw the plea. The Department of Justice moved to drop the case,…

Nov 25, 2020 4:00 PM CST

Can being forced to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ be considered cruel and unusual punishment?

I can’t pinpoint exactly what makes the song so intolerable after repeated listens. All I know is I’m not alone. Other adults have realized “Baby Shark” can be weaponized, and they are using it to their advantage.

Nov 24, 2020 9:05 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Justice Ginsburg will lie in state; 2 lawyers are sentenced in extortion plot

Justice Ginsburg will be first woman to lie in state at Capitol The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in repose at the top of the Supreme Court’s steps Wednesday and Thursday, then will lie in state Friday at the U.S. Capitol Building. Ginsburg will be…

Sep 21, 2020 4:36 PM CDT

A look at Netflix’s ‘Longmire,’ Indian Country and the battle for jurisdiction

Being born and reared in western Oklahoma, I was always fairly familiar with the tribes in that area. Even though I don’t have any American Indian blood, plenty of my friends do, and I have had the opportunity to grow up experiencing the wealth of history and culture they offer.

Sep 16, 2020 2:21 PM CDT

Recent bar admittees offer study strategies to stay focused in stressful times—including the pandemic

From staying organized with small poster boards and using multiple Sharpie pens to finding a compatible study buddy or just getting outside for some fresh air, two bar exam admittees offer tips to study for and pass a bar exam and steer clear of the stress that comes with it.

Sep 15, 2020 12:35 PM CDT

Unusual nuisance law cited in suit for Tulsa massacre reparations; one plaintiff is 105

A lawsuit filed in Oklahoma this week seeks damages for a continuing nuisance stemming from the 1921 Tulsa massacre in an affluent neighborhood known as the Black Wall Street.

Sep 4, 2020 12:27 PM CDT

ABC’s ‘The Last Defense,’ Monday morning quarterbacks and the practice of law

Every attorney has faced the proverbial Monday morning quarterback at some point. If you’ve never heard the term before, it usually indicates a person who critiques an event, situation or decision after the fact.

Aug 27, 2020 9:36 AM CDT

After SCOTUS tribal decision, inmates file appeals, prosecutors hand off cases

Oklahoma’s criminal justice system has been roiled by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month that found that Tulsa and other parts of eastern Oklahoma are a reservation for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Aug 4, 2020 9:15 AM CDT

SCOTUS delivers on US promises, at least partly, made to Native Americans after Trail of Tears

The opening words of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s opinion for the U.S. Supreme Court in a major case on American Indian law leaped off the page for many advocates for Native Americans. The court, in a 5-4 decision on July 9, held that the Creek reservation in eastern Oklahoma had never been “disestablished” by Congress.

Jul 27, 2020 2:36 PM CDT