Oklahoma ex-cop guilty of rape in sex abuse case involving 13 women
NB
Commentary: It boggles the mind that people fall apart
when the gavel comes down on their heads, when they had no compunction when
bringing the gavel down on another's. This happens over and over again. The
serial killer doesn't want to die... the serial rapist fears being raped.. What
is it and where is the disconnect? How do you explain this in any logical
terms? One guilty verdict is enough.....to send this man whirling into the path
of destruction..... there were too many to count in this case. And while he may
suffer the punishment of his crimes, the women whom he hurt will have a
lifetime of recovery from it. Cause punishing him will only be like a band aide
on cancer. I hope these women can get the help they need over the long term.
And then
you have THIS GUY. I can't help but
wonder where do they find these people. Who remembers the black friend who
defended Zimmerman?? Strange indeed.
Daniel Holtzclaw, a
former Oklahoma City police officer, sobs as the verdict is read on Thursday.
Holtzclaw was
convicted of 18 of the 36 counts he faced, including four counts of
first-degree rape, related to accusations that he victimized 13 black women.
A former Oklahoma City police officer was convicted Thursday of raping and sexually victimizing eight women on his police beat in a minority, low-income neighborhood.
Daniel Holtzclaw,
who turned 29 Thursday, sobbed as the verdict was read aloud. Jurors convicted
him on 18 counts involving eight of the 13 women who had accused him; the jury
acquitted him on another 18 counts.
He could spend the
rest of his life in prison based on the jury's recommendation that he serve a
total of 263 years, including a 30-year sentence on each of four first-degree
rape convictions. He was also convicted of forcible oral sodomy, sexual
battery, procuring lewd exhibition and second-degree rape.
The jury
deliberated for about 45 hours over four days. Holtzclaw's sentencing is set
for Jan. 21. A judge will decide whether he will have to serve the sentences
consecutively.
Holtzclaw's father
— a police officer in Enid, about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City — his
mother and sister were in the courtroom as the verdict was read. At least one
accuser was present, as well as several black community leaders. Seven armed
deputies were stationed around the room.
Holtzclaw's defense
attorney, Scott Adams, declined to comment after the verdict was read.
"Justice was
done today, and a criminal wearing a uniform is going to prison now,"
Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. "In those counts
where the not guilty verdicts came back, they determined that we didn't prove
those cases beyond a reasonable doubt. It doesn't mean they didn't believe the
victims."
The lead detective
in the case, Kim Davis, said after the verdict: "I feel horrible for his
family. It's brutal, but I think justice was served."
The allegations
against Holtzclaw brought new attention to the problem of sexual misconduct
committed by law enforcement officers, something police chiefs have studied
for years.
During a monthlong
trial, jurors heard from 13 women who said Holtzclaw sexually victimized them.
Most of them said Holtzclaw stopped them while out on patrol, searched them
for outstanding warrants or checked to see if they were carrying drug
paraphernalia, then forced himself on them.
Holtzclaw's
attorney, meanwhile, described him as a model police officer whose attempts to
help the drug addicts and prostitutes he came in contact with were distorted.
Among the eight
women Holtzclaw was convicted of attacking was a grandmother in her 50s, who
launched the police investigation and who was in the courtroom Thursday. She
said she was driving home after 2 a.m. when Holtzclaw pulled her over. He
first asked her if she had been drinking, then ordered her out of the car and
into the backseat of his squad car. He then stood over her and ordered her to
perform oral sex.
The woman was
tearful after the verdict and prayed with supporters outside the courtroom.
She was the first
victim to testify. The last was a teenager who was 17 when Holtzclaw attacked
her. Holtzclaw was convicted of three charges related to her case:
first-degree rape, second-degree rape and sexual battery.
The teenager
recalled Holtzclaw pulling up in his police car as she walked home one night
in June 2014. Holtzclaw drove her home and walked her to her door, where he
told her he had to search her. She said he grabbed her breasts, then pulled
down her shorts before forcing them off and raping her.
Despite the number
of victims, the case presented prosecutors with several challenges.
Many of the women
had arrest records or histories of drug abuse. Holtzclaw's attorney made those
issues a cornerstone of his defense strategy. Adams questioned several women
at length about whether they were high when they allegedly encountered
Holtzclaw. He also pointed out that most did not come forward until police
identified them as possible victims after launching their investigation.
Ultimately, that
approach did not sway the jury to dismiss all the women's stories.
Holtzclaw was
convicted of one of two charges related to a woman who testified he gave her a
ride home, then followed her into her bedroom where he forced himself on her
and raped her, telling her, "This is better than county jail."
That woman
testified in orange scrubs and handcuffs because she had been jailed on drug
charges hours before appearing in court. But the jury still convicted
Holtzclaw of forcible oral sodomy in her case.
All of the accusers
were black. Holtzclaw is half-white, half-Japanese. The jury appeared to all
be white, though Oklahoma court officials said they did not have race
information for jurors. Some supporters of the women questioned whether the
jury would fairly judge their allegations.
A former college
football star, Holtzclaw joined law enforcement after a brief attempt at
pursuing an NFL career. Oklahoma City police chief Bill Citty fired Holtzclaw
before the trial began.
Citty said in a
statement Thursday night that the department was satisfied with the outcome of
the "long and difficult trial and deliberation process."
"We are
satisfied with the jury's decision and firmly believe justice was
served," the statement said.
Holtzclaw's case
was among those examined in an Associated Press investigation of sexual
misconduct by law enforcement. The AP's yearlong probe revealed about 1,000
officers had lost their licenses for sex crimes or other sexual misconduct
over a six-year period. Holtzclaw was not included in that count because he
has not yet lost his license.
The AP's finding is
undoubtedly an undercount of the problem of sexual abuse in law enforcement.
Not every state has a process for banning problem officers from re-entering
law enforcement, known as decertification. And of those states that do, great
variations exist in whether officers are prosecuted or reported to their state
licensing boards.
The mother of the
17-year-old victim told The Associated Press on Thursday night that she feels
like justice has been served. The Associated Press generally does not identify
victims of sex crimes and is not using the mother's name so as not to identify
her daughter.
The mother said she
believes the type of police crime brought to light by the Holtzclaw case
"isn't just a problem in Oklahoma — it's a problem for the nation."
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Thanks for your comment. Peace, NB