OK 3 Indictment Dropped...But Edmondson May Not Yet Be Done
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson recently canceled the grand jury indictment against Paul Jacob and the "Oklahoma Three," but his politically-motivated prosecution may not yet be finished.
Following an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, AG Edmondson wrote a letter to the editor (PDF file) in which he claims that his actions were justified, yet neglecting to mention the fact that his office had made a procedural mistake with the grand jury indictment.
We wrote about Edmondson's blunders on our blog, and now OK State Representative Mike Reynolds has weighed in with a letter published today in the WSJ (PDF file):
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is not credible ("Oklahoma Prosecution is More Than OK ," Letters, Nov. 24) in pretending that he simply followed the lead of a grand jury to prosecute three people over a petition drive. He sought to imprison them for up to 10 years "Oklahoma's Most Wanted," (Review & Outlook, Nov. 19). First, as anyone with a smidgen of legal acumen knows, a grand jury will indict a tuna sandwich -- if the AG pushes for it. Second, Mr. Edmondson forgot to mention that his office has dismissed the very grand jury indictment his letter used as political cover.
The AG now threatens to re-indict the so-called Oklahoma Three directly from his office, without the grand jury.
Additionally, Mr. Edmondson does not divulge that past petition sponsors accuse the state supreme court and the AG of a double standard against these petitioners, by changing the rules in the middle of the game; then actually prosecuting people who did what they were told was within the rules by state officials. Mr. Edmondson explains the residency requirement for petitioners as requiring that "a person must intend to remain in the state." But does that mean a person cannot vote in Oklahoma if they already have plans to move at some future time? Does it mean that a person relocated to the state for three or five years is not a resident and thus has no right to vote?
Mr. Edmondson is clearly motivated by politics, not the law. He has launched one of the most abusive assaults on First Amendment rights in recent memory.
Mike Reynolds
Representative, Oklahoma House
District 91
Oklahoma City
