Rather than face life imprisonment, Oklahoma prisoner James French murdered his cellmate to apparently coax the state of Oklahoma to execute him. In 1966, they did. French was the last person to be electrocuted in Oklahoma. After that execution, the state of Oklahoma retired the electric chair.
Recently a new controversy surrounding the Death Penalty in Oklahoma has come to light. This time it has to do with the imminent lethal injection of two Death Row inmates. The Oklahoma state Department of Corrections was named in a lawsuit claiming that the secrecy surrounding the drug compounding pharmacies being used to provide the three drug cocktails for lethal injection.
After going to federal court then back to the state level, Oklahoma County District Judge decided that the pending death penalty of these two Death Row inmates was unconstitutional due to the DOC’s failure to reveal where the drugs came from. The judge claimed that the secrecy statute did not allow for due process.
Oklahoma Death Penalty
For a sentence of death to be given in the state of Oklahoma it must be for first-degree murder charges with one or more of the following aggravating circumstances:
- Threat of violence to the person in a previous felony conviction
- Great death risk to more than one person was created
- The murderer was paid or was promised payment for the murder
- The murderer paid or promised to pay someone else to commit the murder
- The murder itself was particularly heinous, atrocious, or cruel
- The murder was committed because the murderer did not want to be arrested or prosecuted
- The murder happened while the murderer was serving a sentence of imprisonment on felony conviction
- The murderer is determined to be a continuing threat to society
If someone you love is in need of criminal defense attorneys due to first-degree murder charges, Fraiser, Fraiser & Hickman can offer personal representation. Let our attorneys leverage our 50+ years experience for the benefit of your defense. For a free initial consultation regarding a car accident claim, call us at 918-779-3658, or contact us online anytime.