Randa Ludlow, 19, was ordered to be freed immediately from the Washington County jail after the Supreme Court voided the contempt order of District Judge Curtis DeLapp and granted Ludlow’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
The shifting piles of mining waste, collapsing mines, sinking grounds and toxic streams near the Tar Creek Superfund site ensure that change in the area is constant. One northeastern Oklahoma organization is hoping to see change for the better.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections opted to hire a private law firm in the $11 million lawsuit after Attorney General Mike Hunter issued an opinion on jail costs “which conflicted with the position of DOC.”
Legislation under consideration include bills that would make voter registration automatic, prevent those with misdemeanor drug crime convictions from voting for five years, and require voters to show a birth certificate before casting a ballot.
Gov. Mary Fallin is interested in implementing work requirements for Medicaid and is supporting a bill that would require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to seek a waiver from the federal government to implement those requirements.
Prosecutors say Oklahoma City pain management doctor Harvey Jenkins Jr.’s opioid prescribing habits made him a danger to society. Jenkins says he’s the victim of a political witch hunt.
While an effort is ongoing to lower the state’s prison figures, it may be too early to celebrate the new federal data that shows a 6 percent decline in the state’s prison population.
During Fiscal Year 2017, Oklahoma district attorneys were awarded more than $6.2 million in cash — up from $3.1 million the prior year — believed to be involved in the drug trade that was seized by law enforcement.
