STORY: "State asks for more time to file secret response to secret hearings in Holtzclaw case," by reporter Phil Cross, published by FOX 25 News on January 8, 2018.
GIST: The
court may have to wait longer to hear whether the state feels the
findings of a two-day secret court hearing should remain a secret. The
public will have to wait longer, because while the court has ordered a
response, justices directed it be filed under seal to prevent the public
from accessing the document. The Attorney General’s office is defending the conviction of Daniel Holtzclaw, who is serving more than 200 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing women while working as an Oklahoma City Police Officer. Holtzclaw’s defense attorneys want the court to reveal what was discussed during the secret hearing they were not allowed to attend.
The attorneys also cited a FOX 25 investigation that revealed the city
initially destroyed emails from the police analyst who retired
following Holtzclaw’s conviction. The city since searched the hard
drive and recovered thousands of records it initially presumed were
lost. Separate FOX 25 investigations revealed the two-day hearing focused on that analyst and her testimony during Holtzclaw’s trial. Some of that testimony has been contradicted by outside forensic scientists. The state is asking for more time to respond to the defense motion to unseal the records related to the secret hearings. The court has not ruled on that request. In a statement to FOX 25, Holtzclaw’s sister, Jennifer said: “Today,
the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office asked the Oklahoma Court of
Criminal Appeals for an extension of time to respond to Daniel
Holtzclaw’s motion to unseal secret proceedings. This is
beyond frustrating. Daniel's wrongful conviction is being compounded by
more injustice. Time and again, the state Attorney General has dragged
its feet on vital matters in Daniel's case. Daniel has waited 11 months
for the state to reply to his appeal of his criminal convictions. The
appellate process was derailed by blatantly illegal secret hearings on
the forensic evidence in his case, which Daniel and his lawyers were not
notified of until after they occurred in June and in which Daniel and
his lawyers were denied the opportunity to participate. Daniel's
lawyers filed a motion in August, five months ago to unseal the secret
proceedings so that Daniel and the entire public can know what happened
behind closed doors when prosecutor Gayland Gieger, who disseminated
false information about the DNA evidence to the jury and to the public,
was allowed by District Court trial judge Timothy Henderson to question
witnesses about crime lab analyst Elaine Taylor's work.
Daniel and our family hope the Court of Criminal Appeals will act decisively to ensure that justice delayed does not become more justice denied.”
The entire story can be found at:
Daniel and our family hope the Court of Criminal Appeals will act decisively to ensure that justice delayed does not become more justice denied.”
The entire story can be found at:
http://okcfox.com/news/local/state-asks-for-more-time-to-file-secret-response-to-secret-hearings-in-holtzclaw-case
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
