OKLAHOMA CITY — Man convicted in ballerina’s death loses appeal
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A man who was sentenced to death for the killing of a University of Oklahoma dance student has lost a bid for a new trial.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday rejected Anthony Sanchez’s appeal of his 2006 conviction in the slaying of Jewell “Juli” Busken, of Benton, Ark.
Sanchez’s attorneys appealed on several grounds, the main argument being that the trial court erred in allowing Sanchez to be tried before a jury while in shackles. The 12 jurors and one alternate testified during an evidentiary hearing in May that they never saw Sanchez shackled.
Busken was abducted from outside her Norman apartment and found at Lake Stanley Draper on Dec. 20, 1996.
State investigators say they matched a DNA sample taken from Sanchez with evidence collected at the crime scene.
State senator looks to abolish death penalty
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state senator from Oklahoma City says she’s renewing her efforts to abolish the death penalty in Oklahoma.
At a news conference Monday at the state Capitol, Democratic state Sen. Connie Johnson said she’s hoping the state’s current economic slump could provide momentum for public interest in abolishing capital punishment.
She says the high cost of prosecuting death penalty cases presents an unnecessary financial burden on the state.
Johnson says she doesn’t intend to introduce a bill this year, but will work with the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty to launch a statewide educational campaign.
Any plan faces an uphill battle in the Legislature, where previous measures to abolish the death penalty have not even received a committee hearing.
OSU student accused of blackmailing another
STILLWATER (AP) — Oklahoma State University police say information accusing a student of blackmailing another to get her notes on a class that both were taking has been turned over to the Payne County district attorney’s office.
OSU Police Capt. David Altman said Monday that 18-year-old student Caroline Randal reported to OSU police on Dec. 7 that another student had threatened to place erroneous information about her on various social-networking Web sites unless she gave him her class notes.
Police say the suspect asked Randal for her class notes from an introduction to theater class, which had its final exam last Wednesday. Randal refused to give him the notes, Altman said, because she felt he had been irresponsible by not taking notes in class himself.
State News
12-15 State Watch: Oklahoma News
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Lawmakers talk taxes
For the Oklahoma Legislature, the only certainty in 2012 is that tax policy will be the focus for much of the session that starts Monday. -
Family of man who committed suicide in jail files lawsuit
One and a half years after their son died in the Payne County Jail, Ron and Thora duBois have filed a federal lawsuit against county officials and the corporation that provides health care to county jail inmates.
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Oklahoma DHS director resigns effective Feb. 29
In a tear-filled statement, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Howard Hendrick announced Tuesday he would be stepping down from the agency Feb. 29.
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Oklahoma’s jobless rate steady at 6.1 percent
Oklahoma’s jobless rate held steady at 6.1 percent in December, according to reports Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
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Report: Corrections reforms could save state $249 million
A public safety report released Wednesday recommends more supervision for offenders once they are released, additional resources for police and more beds for those with mental illness.
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Testing for Oklahoma high-school diplomas vital, school superintendent tells funding panel
The approaching era of high-stakes graduation testing is necessary to ensure an Oklahoma high school diploma has value, state Superintendent Janet Barresi told lawmakers Wednesday.
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Oklahoma lawmaker wants sales tax on newspapers
A Tahlequah lawmaker has proposed placing a state sales tax on the cost of newspapers.
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Proposal targets job protection for state employees
A bill proposed by a Republican Tulsa lawmaker would eliminate employment protections for nearly 25,000 state workers.
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OSBI: Search continues for missing woman
OSBI agents and Cotton County Sheriff’s Deputies continue to search for Teresa Speir.
The 52-year-old woman did not show up for work Sunday, officials said. Law enforcement has searched more than 500 acres near her home southwest of Devol. -
Mired in controversy, Oklahoma ME's Office improves autopsy turnaround, still without accreditation
Almost three years after losing its accreditation, the state Medical Examiner’s Office has not regained that standing and remains in an aging building with deficient office space, records show.
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Lawmakers talk taxes
