In OCCA case No. F 2003-1078, Joseph Lee Rick Knight appealed his conviction for endeavoring to manufacture a controlled dangerous substance (methamphetamine). In an unpublished decision, the court decided to affirm the conviction and sentence. However, it ordered a remand to the District Court of Creek County to vacate certain costs associated with the charges for which Knight was acquitted or not prosecuted. One judge dissented. Joseph Knight was found guilty after a bench trial, which means there was no jury, and the judge made the decision. The trial took place over several days, and Knight was sentenced to twenty years in prison, with nine years to be served and the rest suspended. Knight argued four main points in his appeal. First, he said that his arrest and the search of his home were not done lawfully. The court disagreed, stating that the search was allowed because Knight's wife gave permission, meaning the police did not need a warrant. Secondly, Knight claimed that he did not truly understand what it meant to give up his right to a jury trial. The court found that he had given up this right knowingly, so this point was also denied. The third point Knight made was that he could not cross-examine his co-defendant, whose statements were used against him. The court decided this was not a problem because the judge said those statements would only be considered for the co-defendant. Lastly, Knight believed that his sentence was too harsh. The court said the sentence was appropriate based on the laws and did not seem unfair. In summary, the court upheld Knight's conviction and kept his sentence the same but ordered some of the costs to be canceled because he was not convicted on all charges.
