IN THE NEWS
March 7, 2025
Our office represented Ricky Marshall, who was charged in Carter County District Court with allegedly attempting to kidnap four children from three different locations in the Ardmore area in July, 2023. After obtaining security footage from all three locations, our office was able to establish that the families of the alleged victims had fabricated and embellished details of the incidents. Our office was able to negotiate a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of two charges and a sentence of time served plus probation on reduced versions of the other two charges.
February 4, 2025
Our office represented Dr. Edward Hallowell, the world’s foremost ADHD specialist, on a seven-count felony indictment in Garvin County. Dr. Hallowell, who resides in Massachusetts, was falsely accused of prescribing medication without a license, medical battery, and distribution of a controlled substance. These charges were levied by the Garvin County District Attorney’s Office after Dr. Hallowell mailed a letter to the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office expressing disapproval over their treatment of an inmate. All charges against Dr. Hallowell were dismissed.
June 28, 2024
Our office represented D.J. Long, who was named Carter County Sheriff after a recount ended in a tie. The recount should have resulted in Sheriff Long winning by one vote, but the Carter County Election Board illegally awarded a void ballot to former Sheriff Chris Bryant. We filed suit on behalf of Sheriff Long, but since he won the tie-breaker, we were able to dismiss the suit.
March 18, 2024
Our office represented Casey Dewitt in Johnston County for indecent exposure. It took the jury less than ten minutes to return a verdict of not guilty in a case where the prosecution was asking for five years in prison as well as a requirement that Mr. Dewitt register as a sex offender. The evidence established that Mr. Dewitt did not knowingly or intentionally expose himself to anyone.
August 30, 2023
Our office received an anonymous tip from an Ardmore Police Department officer that their agency was unlawfully conspiring to arrest one of our clients for possessing a firearm. The informant provided us with an email confirming the information. Shortly after going public with this information, Ardmore Police Chief Cameron Arthur was placed on administrative leave and subsequently terminated. The Department has since acknowledged that our client can legally possess a firearm.
July 23, 2023
Our office represented Joshua Childers who was charged in the District Court of Carter County with one count of manslaughter and one count of child endangerment. The charges arose from an incident in which Mr. Childers’ wife was run over after falling out of a vehicle that Mr. Childers was operating. After fighting the charges for almost one year, our office was able to secure the dismissal of the manslaughter charge based on evidence establishing that the death of his wife was an unfortunate accident and not due to any criminal conduct by Mr. Childers. Our office negotiated a plea agreement on the child endangerment charge in which Mr. Childers received a deferred sentence with no jail time.
November 10, 2022
While meeting with clients in the Carter County Jail, Jason noticed what appeared to be a recording device installed in the attorney room in the jail. After going public with the finding, Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant removed the device before OSBI could investigate and publicly admitted that the device was illegally installed in the room. No charges were ever filed against Sheriff Bryant or any other public official.
September 29, 2021
After discovering that the Chickasaw Nation Tribal Prosecutor’s Office was continuing to prosecute medical marijuana holders for possession of marijuana, our office went public with the information. After our office exposed that multiple members of the Chickasaw legislature owned interests in medical marijuana grows, which would constitute a felony offense under the Chickasaw Code, the Chief Counsel of the Chickasaw Nation released a statement confirming that a new policy had been adopted preventing the tribal prosecutors office from charging anyone with an offense that would be legal under state law.
May 6, 2021
Our office defended Leslie Flemming who was charged in Carter County with malicious injury to property for allegedly defacing code enforcement signs to protest a COVID mask mandate that was issued by the City of Ardmore. The jury acquitted Mr. Flemming in less than thirty minutes after testimony established that his First Amendment rights had been violated by the Ardmore Police Department. Jason chose to take notes during the trial on the back of a code enforcement sign identical to the one Mr. Flemming was accused of defacing. No charges were filed against Jason.
October 8, 2019
Our office represented Dakota Martin in a Johnston County case in which he was falsely accused of raping a fellow Murray State College student in a campus dorm room. The case, which was investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, involved what law enforcement deemed to be a confession. After a three-day jury trial it took the jury less than two hours to find Mr. Martin not guilty. Our office has since expunged the record of this arrest and charge from Mr. Martin’s record, but the news stories surrounding the incident remain online.
September 3, 2019
While at a docket for the Ardmore Municipal Court, Jason observed city judge Julie Austin illegally requiring payment of fines and costs in full prior to releasing inmates from custody. After posting video of the incident, the city announced that they have stopped the policy of incarcerating individuals based on their inability to pay fines and costs in full. Judge Austin remained in office, but the video has since been used in judicial training to demonstrate to newly-elected judges how to avoid violating an individual’s civil rights through debt collection.
May 10, 2017
Our office represented Jermaine Scallion, who was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon relating to an incident where he allegedly stabbed his ex-wife’s new boyfriend in an Ardmore parking lot. Mr. Scallion rejected a plea offer of fifteen years in prison, and after a three-day jury trial the jury found him guilty but set punishment at “none,” meaning that Mr. Scallion was not sentenced to jail time, probation, or a fine.
May 12, 2016
Our office represented Steven Adkins, who was charged with first degree rape. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty in a case where the best offer Mr. Adkins received from the prosecution was thirty-five years in prison. The evidence established that the encounter between Mr. Adkins and the alleged victim was consensual and that the alleged victim did not report the alleged rape until after her boyfriend questioned her whereabouts on the night of the alleged encounter.
February 3, 2015
After hiring Carter County District Judge Dennis Morris’ bailiff, Lora Stevens, to serve as our office manager, multiple courthouse employees inform Jason that they overheard Judge Morris stating that all of our clients would be sentenced to prison as retaliation for hiring his bailiff. Although we initially assumed Judge Morris’ comments were not sincere, he subsequently sentenced Michael Martin, a young man with no prior convictions, to two years in prison for simple possession of a controlled dangerous substance. After filing a Writ of Mandamus to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Mr. Martin’s sentence was vacated and he was resentenced to deferred probation.
October 22, 2014
Our office represented Tarra Bond in the District Court of Carter County on one felony count of shooting with intent to kill. Ms. Bond was accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend Chevis Howard. After our investigation established that Ms. Bond had been a victim of Mr. Howard’s domestic abuse for years and that she shot him only after he attacked her in her own home, the case was dismissed by the prosecution after we requested a jury trial. Although we have expunged the record of the arrest and charge from her record, Ms. Bond continues to speak publicly about her experience as a way of spreading awareness about the effects of domestic violence.
February 2, 2014
After learning that Carter County District Judge Dennis Morris was unlawfully requiring indigent defendants to pay money to the court in order to receive a court appointed attorney, our office filed a Writ of Mandamus with the Oklahoma Supreme Court asking them to put a stop to the practice. The court accepted jurisdiction and required Judge Morris to file a response. Judge Morris acknowledged that the practice was unlawful and adopted new court rules abandoning the policy.
September 28, 2011
Our office represented Lisa Bloxham-Grant, who was charged in Carter County with owning a dog that caused the death of a person. The evidence established that the decedent approached Ms. Bloxham-Grant’s dog, which was chained to her front porch. Ms. Bloxham-Grant attempted to enter a plea agreement that would have required her to serve six months in jail and be on probation for five years before the trial began, however, District Judge Dennis Morris refused to accept the plea agreement, stating that the sentencing recommendation was too lenient. The jury found Ms. Bloxham-Grant guilty and imposed a fine of $5,000 with no jail time or probation.