unveils recommendations

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Innocence Project ranks the state among the top 10 for wrongful convictions, which a report issued Friday said could be lowered by law enforcement officers, attorneys and judges. The Oklahoma Justice Commission, formed by the Oklahoma Bar Association, unveiled its recommendations following a two-year study into convictions of people for crimes they didn't commit. The 33-member group's suggestions follow each step of the wrongful conviction process, from arrest to release. "It's not an indictment against law enforcement," Oklahoma Police Chief and commission member Bill Citty said at a press conference. "It's just that you always want to try to do things better." The Oklahoma Innocence Project said more than a dozen people were exonerated last year in the state for crimes they didn't commit, several after a decade or more of prison time. According to the commission's report, almost one-third of nationwide wrongful convictions in the past two decades involved false confessions, which can be given under pressure from investigators or out of fear or exhaustion. One of the report's major recommendations is to videotape interrogations and confessions to allow investigators, juries and judges to see for themselves. "It's something that's done a lot here already, but it's not done by every law enforcement agency," Citty said. "It adds a lot of credibility to investigations and some accountability when it goes to court." The report recommends adjusting photo and physical line-ups to prevent witnesses from thinking investigators want them to pick a particular person. It also calls on the state to adequately fund training for all criminal justice professionals and post-release services for those wrongfully convicted. The commission also suggested allowing DNA evidence to be available for investigations even after someone's conviction so that an innocent person can push for a retrial. According to the report, Oklahoma is the only state that doesn't allow post-conviction DNA testing. "There's going to be a pathway for these inmates that are incarcerated or even someone that may have passed on, a family member that wants to clear someone's name when they're actually innocent of a crime to have access to this new technology," said commission member Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing. Her bill to allow the testing has passed the House and is under consideration by the state Senate. Drew Edmondson, a former Oklahoma attorney general and the commission's chairman, said many of the recommendations could be voluntarily adopted by police departments and courts without legislation. Still, he added the report also recommends some legislative force behind the changes. A common theme throughout the report is what law enforcement stands to gain from its recommendations, saying investigators and the broader public could be more confident in investigations. "If the wrong guy is in prison, that means the guy that really did it is out on the streets," Edmondson said. "And nobody feels more strongly about that than the people who wear badges and enforce the law."

Kiamichi Technology Center recently sent two teams to compete at the Regional Ski11sUSA competition. The two teams were composed of students from the Pre-engineering class. Team One (above) won first place and will go on to compete at the state Ski11sUSA competition in the spring. Team members include Camden Martin, Josh Kirkpatrick, Hunter Turnage, Melisa Bruno and Kyle Price. Team two (below) won third place. Team members include Riley Carter, Nick Stauter, Jason O'Rear, Breanne Cantrell and Cameron Robison. These students are all juniors and seniors and attend high school at Idabel, Haworth, or Valliant School.

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Work continues at fatal sinkhole site

SEFFNER, Fla. (AP) Engineers worked gingerly Saturday to find out more about a slowly growing sinkhole that swallowed a Florida man in his bedroom, believing the entire house could eventually succumb to the unstable ground. It could be days before officials decide whether they will attempt to recover Jeff Bush's body, and they were still trying Saturday to determine the extent of the sinkhole network and what kind of work might be safe. As the sinkhole grows, it may pose further risk to the subdivision and its homes. Bush, 37, was in his bedroom Thursday night in Seffner a suburb of 8,000 people 15 miles east of downtown Tampa when the earth opened and took him and everything else in his room. Five others in the house escape unharmed. On Saturday, the normally quiet neighborhood of concrete block homes painted in Florida pastels was jammed with cars as engineers, reporters, and curious onlookers came to the scene. At the home next door to the Bushes, a family cried and organized boxes. Testing determined that their house also was compromised by the sinkhole, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ronnie Rivera.

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