F-2015-963
In OCCA case No. F-2015-963, Daniel Bryan Kelley appealed his conviction for Rape by Instrumentation and Assault and Battery. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to affirm the conviction for Assault and Battery but reversed the conviction for Rape by Instrumentation and remanded for resentencing. One judge dissented. Kelley was found guilty by a jury of committing rape and an assault. The crimes occurred in Tulsa County. The jury recommended a sentence of 20 years for the rape and a 90-day sentence for the assault, which would happen at the same time as the longer sentence. Kelley appealed for several reasons. Firstly, Kelley argued that he should have been allowed to present evidence that the victim had previously said the crime happened somewhere else. The court found this request did not violate his rights. The court also ruled that other evidence, including statements from witnesses, was presented correctly according to the law. Kelley further claimed that the detective’s testimony included hearsay and should not have been allowed. The court disagreed, stating that the testimony did not qualify as hearsay because it was not offered to prove the truth of the matter. He also objected to the admission of a Kansas judgment that concerns his past criminal record. The court found that the state failed to prove that this past conviction should be used to increase his sentence as a felony under Oklahoma law, which was a significant factor in the decision to remand for resentencing. Kelley argued that the prosecutor made mistakes during his closing arguments, but the court didn’t find enough errors to affect his right to a fair trial. On the matter of whether Kelley received effective help from his lawyer, the court determined that no deficiencies were present that impacted his case. The final summary was that while Kelley’s conviction for Assault and Battery remained intact, the conviction for Rape by Instrumentation was reversed due to a lack of sufficient evidence regarding his previous crime, leading to a mandate for resentencing.