In OCCA case No. C 2015-473, Johnny Allen Ross appealed his conviction for Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance (Methamphetamine) and Possession of a Controlled and Dangerous Substance (Marijuana). In an unpublished decision, the court decided to grant the appeal because Ross was denied effective assistance of counsel during the hearing on his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. One judge dissented.
In OCCA case No. F-2012-1014, David Lynn Fleming appealed his conviction for Breaking and Entering, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Methamphetamine and Marijuana), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to affirm the convictions but modified the sentence for the Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance to thirty years. One judge dissented regarding the modification of the sentence. Fleming was tried and found guilty of breaking into a home and possessing illegal drugs. The jury gave him a total of fifty years in prison for one count of drug possession. The main arguments in his appeal focused on whether he was punished too harshly for one act, issues with how the trial was conducted, and improper influences on the jury. The court found some merit in his claims about the evidence presented but ultimately upheld his convictions, changing only the sentence for drug possession based on a legal error made during the trial.
In OCCA case No. C-2013-309, the petitioner appealed his conviction for possession of controlled substances and possession of contraband. In a published decision, the court decided to deny his request to withdraw his guilty plea and affirmed the lower court's judgment and sentence. One justice dissented. The case involved Joseph Leonard Cox, Jr., who entered a guilty plea to charges related to drug possession. This plea was part of a deal to resolve two separate cases. The court sentenced him to ten years in prison for one charge and five years for another, with some fines. The sentences would run at the same time, which means he would serve them together. Later, Cox wrote a letter that seemed to ask to take back his guilty plea. The court had a hearing about this but decided not to let him withdraw the plea. Cox's main arguments were that he was pressured into his plea, his lawyer did not help him enough, and he wanted a new hearing to challenge his plea. However, the court found that there wasn’t enough evidence to show he was coerced into pleading guilty. They also determined that his legal representation during the hearing was sufficient. The court noted that the rules allowed for his past time in jail to be counted toward his sentence, and they directed the lower court to correct its records to reflect this. In summary, they denied his request but agreed on the correction of his time served in the sentencing documents. Thus, the earlier decision of the district court was largely upheld.
In OCCA case No. C-2012-287, Jason Harvey Thompson appealed his conviction for Unlawful Possession of Controlled Drug and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In a published decision, the court decided to grant his petition and remand the case for a hearing. One judge dissented. Thompson had pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to twenty years in prison for the first charge and one year for the second, which would be served at the same time as the first. He later tried to withdraw his guilty plea because he felt he did not receive good help from his lawyer when he was negotiating his plea agreement. He also claimed that the court did not properly check if he understood what he was doing when he accepted the plea and that the facts didn’t support his guilty plea. When Thompson asked to withdraw his plea, the trial court denied his request without holding a hearing on it. Thompson then took his case to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, saying that the trial court should have listened to his reasons for wanting to withdraw his plea. The Appeals Court looked at all the information, including the legal rules, and found that the trial court did not follow the required procedures when Thompson wanted to withdraw his plea. According to the rules, the court is required to hold a hearing when someone asks to withdraw a plea, and since this did not happen, the Appeals Court said they needed to send the case back for a hearing. The Appeals Court also addressed an issue with the paperwork related to Thompson's charges, noting that some information in the sentencing document was wrong and needed to be corrected. In conclusion, the Appeals Court granted Thompson's petition, meaning he will get a chance to explain why he wants to withdraw his guilty plea in a new hearing, and they ordered the trial court to fix the sentencing paperwork.
In OCCA case No. F-2005-987, Jimmy Douglas Letterman appealed his conviction for unlawful possession of controlled drug (methamphetamine), unlawful possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony, and unlawful possession of paraphernalia. In an unpublished decision, the court affirmed his convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and unlawful possession of paraphernalia, but reversed his conviction for unlawful possession of marijuana, with instructions to dismiss. One judge dissented.
In OCCA case No. F-2005-619, Ralph Emerson Jones, Jr. appealed his conviction for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to reverse the conviction and remand the case for a new trial. Two judges dissented. Ralph Jones was found guilty by a jury for having methamphetamine and was sentenced to two years in prison. He believed that the evidence against him was not enough to prove he knew he had the drug, claiming that just having drug paraphernalia was not good enough for a conviction. When reviewing the case, the court found that there was a problem during the trial. Jones was only allowed to use three of his five chances to challenge potential jurors, which is not what the law says should happen. This was seen as a violation of his rights, and the court ruled that he should get a new trial. The final decision was to throw out Jones’s conviction and start the trial over again. Two judges disagreed with this decision, arguing that the appeals court should only look at issues that were raised during the trial and that the evidence actually supported Jones’s conviction. They felt that giving him another chance could lead to unnecessary complications since he might not even want to go through a new trial.
In OCCA case No. C-2001-537, a person appealed his conviction for possession of controlled substances. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to reverse one of the counts while keeping the other counts affirmed. One judge dissented. The case began when the individual pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. The plea agreement allowed for a one-year suspended sentence if he completed a drug court program. However, he later violated the terms of this agreement by using drugs again and not attending the required sessions, leading to a longer sentence. After the court sentenced him to a total of 21 years in prison for the remaining counts, he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea. He argued he did not fully understand what he was agreeing to, specifically the length of his sentences and various conditions. In reviewing the case, the court found a significant issue with the individual's dual convictions for possessing two kinds of drugs at the same time, which they ruled could violate double jeopardy rules. They agreed with part of his appeal and reversed the conviction for possession of marijuana, while affirming the other two convictions.
In OCCA case No. F-2000-1339, Harold Lee Cooper, Jr. appealed his conviction for possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana. In a published decision, the court affirmed his conviction for possession of cocaine but reversed and dismissed the conviction for possession of marijuana. One judge dissented.