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Robert Lee Douglas Cook confers with his attorney Duke Holden after District Judge Richard VanDyck formally pronounced sentencing in the case that has gone on for nearly two years. Cook received a sentence of 27 years on four felony charges with credit for time served as well as fines and court costs.
Discussion
Judge sentences Cook to what jury suggested
Convicted felon Robert Lee Douglas Cook was back in court again on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for formal sentencing.
Cook’s attorney Duke Holden told the court that at no time did Cook intend to harm his ex-wife Trisha Hartline, even though he had ample opportunity. He also said Cook admitted he was guilty of being in possession of a stolen car, license tag and guns.
Holden then asked the court to give Cook the same sentence that Cook’s mother Minnie Irene Cook received in the case, a total of 15 years’ imprisonment as opposed to the 27 years recommended for Cook. Holden also asked the court to omit any “heavy fines” and court costs and to give Cook, who has been jailed since April, 2007, credit for time served.
“He’s a young guy, he did some stupid things, but he had no intent to harm Trisha Hartline,” said Holden.
Assistant District Attorney Leah Edwards rejected Holden’s plea for reducing Cook’s sentence to equal that of his mother’s, saying his mother’s case is an “entirely different case.”
Judge VanDyck concurred, giving Cook the full sentence recommended by the jury, 10 years on the charge of endeavoring to perform an act of violence, 10 years on the charge of child stealing, two years on the charge of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and five years on the charge of knowingly concealing stolen property, with sentences running consecutively. VanDyck did allow Cook to receive credit for time already served.
In addition, VanDyck required Cook, upon his release from prison, to make arrangements to pay fines and court costs totaling $6,500 within five days of being released.
“It’s been one hell of a ride,” said Hartline’s father Jim Hartline, who drove from Amarillo to Houston, to Ponca City to Little Rock distributing fliers of his daughter’s missing children. “I’m glad this mess is over with.”
Robert Cook and his mother Minnie Irene Cook were arrested near Ninnekah on April 4, 2008 when Ninnekah Police Officer Danny Cole ran the tag on their van and learned the plate was stolen.
After calling for back up, Cole and other officers arrested the Cooks after seeing two loaded guns in the front of the van, including an SKS assault rifle and a 38 caliber hand gun. Another gun and dozens of suspicious items were later found in the van, including ammunition, a Bowie knife, assorted black clothing, ski masks, latex gloves and a gun cleaning kit.
Police interviews with Robert Cook uncovered a plot to murder Hartline, with Cook admitting to Oklahoma State Highway Patrol Trooper Patrick Surber he had thought about killing Hartline “for a long time.”
On Nov. 9, 2008, a Grady County judge granted Hartline full custody of the couple’s three children and ordered Cook to turn them over. However, Cook disregarded the court order and fled to Texas with the children.
After the Cook’s arrest in April, Surber, working with Cook’s sister Barbie Lindsay, made arrangements for the three children to be returned to their mother.
Minnie Irene Cook was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, Oct. 27, but, in light of the jury’s guilty verdict against her son earlier in the week, she opted to plead guilty on three charges. The fourth charge, endeavoring to perform an act of violence, which carried a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, was dismissed by the state as part of Cook’s plea agreement.
Cook admitted to helping her son Robert steal his children from custodial parent Trisha Hartline, driving the vehicle with a stolen plate and to having loaded guns inside the vehicle.
District Judge Richard Van Dyck sentenced Cook to 10 years in prison on the count of child stealing and two years on the count of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, with both sentences running concurrently.
Van Dyck sentenced Cook to an additional five years on the count of knowingly concealing stolen property, with the sentence running consecutively with the previous sentences, for a total of 15 years’ imprisonment.
Cook also received fines and was ordered to pay court costs on all four of the counts against her.
“Based on the verdict obtained in Robert Cook’s case, we feel the plea agreement is in the best interest of justice,” said Grady County Assistant District Attorney Leah Edwards.
Cook has 10 days to appeal the court’s decision.
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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
