OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Should Oklahoma lawmakers place a moratorium on the death penalty? A legislative panel believes so. Fox 25 listened in on an interim study held at the State Capitol.
People familiar with Oklahoma’s criminal justice system spoke at the study. They all pointed out some flaws that they say need to be corrected.
“Whether you support capital punishment or you oppose it, one thing is clear: from start to finish, Oklahoma’s capital punishment system is badly broken,” Attorney and Former U.S. Magistrate Judge Andy Lester said.
On Thursday, October 5 at the Capitol, a panel explained what bothers them about Oklahoma’s capital punishment system.
“It’s so broken that we can’t know whether someone who has been condemned to death is actually deserving of the ultimate penalty the state can impose.”
A prime example, State Rep. Kevin McDugle (R-Broken Arrow) says, is Richard Glossip. Prosecutors sentenced him to death for the 1997 murder of Barry van Treese.
“I’m sorry that I had to be the one to stand up for Richard Glossip,” State Rep. McDugle said. “It wasn’t what I chose to do when I came into the legislature. But when I saw a problem and no one else is working on a solution, somebody’s got to.”
Former Department of Corrections director Justin Jones claims the Sooner State isn’t performing the punishment correctly.
“I’m guaranteeing you that you’re going to have botched executions as long as you’re doing the protocols that you’re doing,” Jones said.
District Attorney (DA) Jason Hicks mentions the long execution process being mentally draining for the victim’s family.
“Somebody shows up at their door and says, ‘You’ve got a loved one that is dead,’ then it is literally 20-25 years,” DA Hicks said. “They’re going through the same thing over and over and over again.”
All of these factors contribute to a collective call for change.
“Either we fix it, or we put a moratorium on it until we can fix it,” McDugle said.
Oklahoma has executed three death row inmates so far in 2023. Phillip Hancock is scheduled to be next on November 30.
Lawmakers will return to the Capitol for the next legislative session in February of 2024.
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