Local News
Legal loophole allows sex offender to go free
CHICKASHA — A sex offender is on the streets after a loophole was discovered by his attorney.
Michael Floyd Jacobs, 53, was released from Grady County Jail Friday after pleading no contest Thursday to two counts of lewd molestation.
Floyd was convicted of sexually molesting two elementary age children in 2006 while he was dating their grandmother. Assistant District Attorney Lesley March said the police also had information that Jacobs had also allegedly molested at least one other girl when she young. That victim is now 26.
Jacobs was sentenced Thursday to a 10-year suspended sentence and given credit for the year he spent in county jail.
March said the sentence was a result of a deal struck following a successful argument by Defense Attorney Bill Smith that could have resulted in the case being thrown out of court.
In his motion to quash, Smith produced an unpublished Oklahoma Criminal Court of Appeals case, State v. Michael Ray Roley, in which the court supports a suspect’s right to confront his accusers over the ideal of preserving a child from having to testify at a preliminary hearing.
In the Jacobs case, both victims were present and available to give testimony at the preliminary hearing, where the State must present enough evidence to prove probable cause that the defendant committed the crime. The State elected, however, to use the persons the children confided in rather than the children themselves as witnesses in the hearing in an effort to protect the children.
The judge ruled that the State followed the statutory guidelines for using the other witnesses and allowed them to proceed at the time despite objections from the defense.
After being presented with the defense’s argument earlier in the week, however, March said she was informed by District Judge Richard Van Dyck that he would be inclined to sustain the defense’s motion to have the case thrown out.
The decision would mean the District Attorney’s Office would have to start all over again with the prosecution if they could not strike a deal. Smith and his client agreed to plead no contest for the suspended sentence.
“It’s going to affect a number of cases we have going right now,” March said concerning the unpublished ruling, “It appears we will have to force all of our young victims to testify at preliminary hearings.”
March said Jacobs will have to register as a sex offender while on his suspended sentence and for the 10 years following.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
