Oklahoma

Lawyer Who Leapt From Window After Robbery Arrest Surrenders Law License

An Oklahoma lawyer who leapt from a hospital ledge after he was accused of robbing a drugstore has agreed to resign from legal practice. The Oklahoma Supreme Court accepted Robert Behlen’s resignation in an April 28 opinion, the Legal Profession Blog reports. Robert Behlen was accused of taking painkillers in…

Apr 30, 2008 2:25 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Made Snarky Comments Ordered to Write Civility Article

A lawyer who ordered opposing counsel to “sit quietly in the corner” and “be like a potted plant” has been ordered to write an article on civility for that remark and other cutting comments. U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange said lawyer Gerard Pignato should submit the article to the Oklahoma…

Apr 30, 2008 11:12 AM CDT

Judge Vacates Divorce, Giving Wife in Murder Case Military Benefits

An Oklahoma judge has vacated a divorce last month of a military couple, so that the wife can get government benefits following her then ex-husband’s murder of their two children. “Her attorneys said after the hearing the ruling was the only way the longtime stay-at-home mom could get any money…

Mar 27, 2008 5:36 PM CDT

Judge Has Lawyer Handcuffed to Client, Jailed

An Oklahoma judge jailed an attorney after accusing him of lying about his client hiding a witness in a domestic violence case. Oklahoma County District Judge Twyla Mason Gray sentenced lawyer Derek Smith to four days in jail for contempt, the Oklahoman reports. The 36-year-old lawyer was handcuffed to his…

Jan 30, 2008 10:03 PM CST

Breyer: Court Must Balance Security and Civil Liberties

Justice Stephen G. Breyer told law students yesterday that the U.S. Supreme Court is the “border guard” protecting the line between security and civil liberties. Speaking at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Breyer said justices have to strike a balance in cases such as the ones testing the…

Jan 25, 2008 12:04 PM CST

States Enforce Federal Immigration Laws

Although enforcing the nation’s immigration laws has traditionally been the federal government’s job, states increasingly are doing it. They are motivated by a perception that the feds aren’t getting it done—and that illegal immigrants cost states money. This year, as Congress failed to agree on omnibus immigration legislation, 43 states…

Nov 1, 2007 5:48 PM CDT

Oral Roberts Prez Denies Lavish Spending

Three former professors at Oral Roberts University contend its president, Richard Roberts, improperly fired them for objecting to the school’s involvement in a political race. But their lawsuit goes further, claiming Roberts and his wife, Lindsey, are using university money to finance a lavish lifestyle. Roberts, for his part, claims…

Oct 9, 2007 1:54 PM CDT

In Tight Market, Law Grads Seek Work in OK

A tight legal market for law students who aren’t graduating from the nation’s most elite law schools or at the top of their class is apparently prompting many to seek work in Oklahoma. Some may also think—correctly—that law firm jobs there offer good long-term opportunities for training and growth, as…

Oct 4, 2007 4:32 PM CDT

Lawyer Accused of Robbery Leaps From Ledge

An Oklahoma lawyer accused of robbing a drugstore is in critical condition after leaping from a hospital window yesterday, landing on a roof of a building three stories below. Robert Behlen was taken to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center after he stabbed himself in the neck with a pencil…

Sep 28, 2007 2:59 PM CDT

Judge’s Penis Pump Conviction Affirmed

A former Oklahoma judge convicted for using a penis pump while presiding over trials has lost his appeal. Retired Judge Donald Thompson was convicted of four counts of indecent exposure and sentenced in August 2006 to four years in prison, the Associated Press reports. Yesterday, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal…

Sep 28, 2007 12:51 PM CDT

Police: Lawyer Robbed Drugstore

An Oklahoma City attorney has been arrested and is accused of robbing the same pharmacy three times yesterday in the course of 11 minutes. Police say 50-year-old Robert Behlen, a civil litigator who lives in Edmond, robbed the drugstore of painkillers at gunpoint in one of these incidents, escaped in…

Sep 19, 2007 8:09 PM CDT

Children Kidnap Tot, Mom Foils Plot

Two girls, age 10 and 12, are being held by Enid, Okla., authorities for allegedly breaking into a neighboring home as Sheila Wells slept, kidnapping her 1-year-old son, Brandon, at 5:30 a.m. yesterday and holding him for ransom. The two girls, whose names were not revealed because they are juveniles,…

Jul 6, 2007 5:11 PM CDT

A Little Off the Top

Diner Flips His Wig After Prankster Pulls the Rug Out From Over Him

Dec 14, 2004 8:33 AM CST