The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled this week it would change the manner by which executions are scheduled in the state, opting to set each execution date individually instead of in groups.
Authorities jailed Michael James Hoeppner under suspicion of drunk driving in March 2019. He wasn’t intoxicated but suffering from a treatable illness.
Smith was the first person executed by the state in 2024, and the 12th since Oklahoma resumed use of the death penalty in 2021.
Prisons in rural areas have struggled to hire and keep staff. Stabbings have occurred at some facilities.
Michael DeWayne Smith was sentenced to death for two 2002 Oklahoma County murders.
State leaders have asked the court for 90 days between executions to combat trauma, staffing shortages and reduce the potential for errors.
After a mass murder at a marijuana farm, a Chinese diplomat visited an organization that has been the subject of investigations. The meetings reflect an international pattern of contacts between Chinese officials and suspected criminal networks.
A year after authorities arrested Qiu He, the Chinese immigrant has yet to be charged with a crime. She and others say anti-Asian bias plays a role in the state’s crackdown on the pot industry: “I don’t feel secure here.”
