Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals | 2024

Decisions

WASHBURNE v. STATE
2024 OK CR 9
Case Number: F-2022-787
Decided: 04/11/2024

¶1 Appellant, Micky Todd Washburne, appeals his Judgment and Sentence from the District Court of Washington County, Case No. CF-2021-261, for Lewd or Indecent Proposals to a Child Under 16, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2018, § 1123(A)(1).

¶2 The Honorable Linda Thomas, District Judge, presided over Washburne’s jury trial. The jury found Appellant guilty and assessed punishment of five (5) years imprisonment and a five thousand dollar ($5,000.00) fine.1 The trial court sentenced Appellant in accordance with the jury’s verdict and granted credit for time served. Appellant appeals his judgment and sentence and raises the following issues:

I. whether the trial court erred in instructing the jury that its sentence was merely a recommendation;

II. whether the trial court committed plain error when it instructed the jury that Appellant’s alleged crime was subject to the 85% Rule;

III. whether the trial court erred in refusing Appellant’s request for a mistrial after the State’s Brady violation was revealed;

IV. whether trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance when she failed to examine Officer Williams regarding his relationship with Appellant and his prior relationship with the Appellant’s girlfriend; and

V. whether the Judgment and Sentence entered by the trial court inaccurately states that Appellant entered a plea of guilty when he was tried by a jury, and it should be corrected nunc pro tunc.

¶3 We affirm the Judgment and Sentence of the district court.


MCCAULEY v. STATE
2024 OK CR 8
Case Number: F-2022-208
Decided: 04/04/2024

¶1 Appellant, Dakoda Aaron McCauley, was tried and convicted by a jury in the District Court of Osage County, Case No. CF-2018-135, of Manslaughter in the First Degree (Heat of Passion), in violation of 21 O.S.2011, § 711.1 The jury sentenced McCauley to twenty-two years imprisonment. The Honorable Burl O. Estes, Associate District Judge, presided at trial and pronounced judgment and sentence in accordance with the jury’s verdict.

¶2 McCauley now appeals and alleges four propositions of error.2 After careful review, we reject these claims and affirm McCauley’s judgment and sentence.

HALIBURTON v. STATE
2024 OK CR 7
Case Number: F-2022-367
Decided: 03/21/2024

¶1  Appellant, Charles Haliburton, appeals his Judgment and Sentence from the District Court of Comanche County, Case No. CF-2018-355, for Lewd or Indecent Acts to a Child Under 16 in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2017, § 1123(A)(2).

¶2  The Honorable Gerald F. Neuwirth, District Judge, presided over Haliburton’s jury trial. The jury found Appellant guilty and assessed punishment of ten (10) years imprisonment. The trial court sentenced the defendant in accordance with the jury’s verdict and ordered three (3) years of post-imprisonment supervision.[1] Haliburton was granted an appeal out of time on April 8, 2022, in Case No. PC-2022-2965. Haliburton appeals his Judgment and Sentence and raises the following issue:

  1. whether after the State failed to establish the elements of the charged offense at preliminary hearing, counsel’s failure to file a motion to quash constituted ineffective assistance.

¶3  We affirm the Judgment and Sentence of the district court.


IN RE ADOPTION OF THE 2024 REVISIONS TO OKLAHOMA UNIFORM JURY INSTRUCTIONS-CRIMINAL (SECOND EDITION)
2024 OK CR 6
Case Number: CCAD-2024-3
Decided: 03/06/2024

¶1 On January 24, 2024, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Committee for Preparation of Uniform Criminal Jury Instructions submitted its report and recommendations to the Court for adoption of amendments to Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions-Criminal (Second Edition) (OUJI-CR (2d)). The Court has reviewed the report and recommendations by the committee for the adoption of the proposed 2024 revisions to the Uniform Jury Instructions. Pursuant to 12 O.S.2021, § 577.1, the Court accepts that report and finds the revisions should be adopted.


IN RE ADOPTION OF THE 2024 REVISIONS TO THE OKLAHOMA JURY INSTRUCTIONS-CRIMINAL (SECOND EDITION)
2024 OK CR 5
Case Number: CCAD-2024-2
Decided: 03/06/2024

ORDER VACATING AND WITHDRAWING PREVIOUS
ORDER ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO OKLAHOMA
UNIFORM JURY INSTRUCTIONS-CRIMINAL (SECOND EDITION)

Based on the Court’s further amendments to the Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions-Criminal (Second Edition) (OUJI-CR(2d)), the previous order adopting amendments is VACATED. The order issued in In Re Adoption of OUJI-CR(2d) (2024 Supp.), 2024 OK CR 2, is WITHDRAWN. The Court will issue a separate order adopting amendments to OUJI-CR(2d).

IT IS SO ORDERED.


STATE v. FULLER
2024 OK CR 4
Case Number: S-2023-409
Decided: 03/07/2024

¶1 The State of Oklahoma appeals the order of the reviewing judge affirming an adverse ruling of the magistrate dismissing the criminal charges in Ottawa County District Court Case No. CF-2022-215 for lack of jurisdiction. See 22 O.S.2011, §§ 1089.1–1089.7; Rule 6.1, Rules of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Title 22, Ch.18, App. (2024).


STATE v. BRADFORD
2024 OK CR 3
Case Number: S-2023-720
Decided: 03/07/2024

¶1 The State charged Appellee, Darren D. Bradford, in the District Court of Bryan County, Case No. CF-2022-206, with Murder in the Second Degree, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 701.8, or in the alternative, either Manslaughter in the First Degree, death caused by a person engaged in a misdemeanor, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 711(1), or Manslaughter in the First Degree, heat of passion, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 711(2).

¶2 Appellee filed a motion for immunity and request for hearing pursuant to 21 O.S.2021, § 1289.25(F)1 on the day of his preliminary hearing.2 Appellee also filed a motion to quash after being bound over for trial at preliminary hearing. Both matters came on for hearing before the Honorable Abby C. Rogers, Associate District Judge. After incorporating the transcript and exhibits from the preliminary hearing and the presentation of evidence, Judge Rogers found Appellee was entitled to immunity and granted Appellee’s motion to quash. It is from this order the State appeals raising the following two propositions of error:

I. whether the trial court committed error in an abuse of discretion in finding that the Appellee seeking pre-trial immunity proved by a preponderance of the evidence that his use of deadly force was legally justified; and

II. whether, in granting the motion to quash, the trial court committed error in determining that the preliminary hearing magistrate improperly found probable cause to hold the Appellee for trial.

¶3 We affirm the trial court’s order finding immunity pursuant to Title 21, Section 1289.25(F).3


CASH v. STATE
2024 OK CR 1
Case Number: RE-2022-638
Decided: 01/25/2024

¶1 Appellant, Steven James Cash, appeals the revocation of his suspended sentence in Cleveland County District Court Case No. CF-2014-1824. On April 5, 2015, Appellant entered pleas of guilty to Second Degree Rape (21 O.S.2011, § 1116) (Count 1) and Rape by Instrumentation (21 O.S.2011, § 1111.1) (Count 2).1 He was sentenced to concurrent terms of fifteen years imprisonment, all suspended but two years.

¶2 On February 24, 2017, the State filed an Application to Revoke Suspended Sentence alleging failure to report, remain in the State, and pay 991 costs as ordered.2 On July 5, 2022, the State filed an amended application which added the new crime violation of “Rape/Sexual Assault”, as alleged in Garland County, Arkansas, Case No. 26F-2017-523-1.

¶3 Following a hearing, the Honorable Lori Walkley, District Judge, found the technical violation of failure to remain in State and the non-technical violations of failure to report and committing a new crime. Appellant’s suspended sentences were revoked in full.3 From this order, Appellant appeals raising five propositions of error.

DECISION

¶19 The revocation order in Cleveland County District Court Case No. CF-2014-1824 is AFFIRMED. Pursuant to Rule 3.15, Rules of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Title 22, Ch.18, App. (2024), the MANDATE is ORDERED issued upon the filing of this decision.