Panel denies clemency for Oklahoma killer
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday voted to deny clemency for John Fitzgerald Hanson, who is set to die June 12 for the 1999 slaying of Mary Bowles. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday voted 3-2 to decline to recommend clemency for Tulsa County killer John Fitzgerald Hanson.
Hanson, also known as George John Hanson, is set to die June 12 by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
He was sentenced to death for the 1999 shooting death of Mary Bowles, 77, a retired bank executive whom he and his accomplice, Jerald Thurman, abducted from a Tulsa mall. Bowles was shot four to six times and found at a dirt pit near Owasso.
A bystander, Jerald Thurman, was also killed.
'Now is the time for him to atone for the pain and suffering he has wrought,' said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. 'Justice will be delivered when the death penalty is rightly served on June 12.'
George John Hanson, also known as John Fitzgerald Hanson, was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Mary Bowles. (Photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections)
Hanson was homeless, developmentally disabled and didn't get a fair shot at presenting mitigating evidence, said Callie Heller, his attorney.
'As of today, three jurors have come forward with concerns about their death verdict after learning the facts they never heard at trial,' she said.
Hanson has expressed remorse and taken responsibility for his role in the crime, she said.
A more culpable defendant is serving life, she said.
Hanson, who was imprisoned for an unrelated crime in Louisiana, was transferred in March to Oklahoma so his execution could be carried out.
The transfer had previously been blocked by the Democrat Joe Biden's administration, but Republican Donald Trump's administration cleared the way for Hanson's transfer back to Oklahoma.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
The nation's capital waits for Trump's next move as a federal takeover threat looms
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That still might change in the coming evenings as Trump puts into action his long-standing plans to 'take over' a capital city he has repeatedly slammed as unsafe, filthy and badly run. According to his Thursday declaration, the security lockdown will run for seven days, 'with the option to extend as needed.' In an online post Saturday, the Republican president said the Democratic-led city would soon be one of the country's safest and he announced a White House news conference for Monday, though he offered no details. Advertisement On Friday night, a White House official said Thursday night's operations included arrests for possession of two stolen firearms, suspected fentanyl and marijuana. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said more than 120 members of various federal agencies — the Secret Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service — were to be on duty Friday night, upping the complement of federal officers involved. Advertisement 'This is the first step in stopping the violent crime that has been plaguing the streets of Washington, D.C.,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who publicly faced off against Trump in 2020 when he called in a massive federal law enforcement response to disperse crowds of protesters, has not said a public word since Trump's declaration. The police department has gone similarly silent. The catalyst for this latest round of takeover drama was the assault last weekend on a high-profile member of the bureaucracy-slashing Department of Government Efficiency by a group of teenagers in an attempted carjacking. Police arrested two 15-year-olds and were seeking others. Trump quickly renewed his calls for the federal government to seize control. 'If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He later told reporters he was considering everything from repealing Washington's limited 'home rule' autonomy to 'bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly.' The threats come at a time when Bowser's government can legitimately claim to have reduced the number of homicides and carjackings, both of which spiked in 2023. The number of carjackings overall dropped significantly the following year in 2024, from 957 to just under 500, and is on track to decline again this year, with less than 200 recorded so far more than halfway through the year. Advertisement The portion of juveniles arrested for carjacking, though, has remained above 50%, and Bowser's government has taken steps to reign in a new phenomenon of rowdy teenagers causing disarray and disturbances in public spaces. Emergency legislation passed by the D.C. Council this summer imposed tighter youth curfew restrictions and empowered Police Chief Pamela Smith to declare temporary juvenile curfew zones for four days at a time. In those areas, a gathering of nine or more under the age of 18 is unlawful after 8 p.m. Trump is within his powers in deploying federal law enforcement assets on D.C. streets. He could deploy the National Guard, although that is not one of the dozen participating agencies listed in his declaration. The first Trump administration called in the National Guard during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and again on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters overran the Capitol. Further steps, including taking over the police department, would require a declaration of emergency. Legal experts believe that would most likely be challenged in court. Such an approach would fit the general pattern of Trump's second term in office, when he has declared states of emergency on issues ranging from border protection to economic tariffs. In many cases, he moved forward while the courts sorted it out. Imposing a full federal takeover of Washington would require a congressional repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973. It's a step that Trump said lawyers are examining. Advertisement That law was specific to Washington, not other communities in the United States that have their own home rule powers but generally retain representation in their state legislatures, said Monica Hopkins, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon, the measure allowed D.C. residents to elect their own mayor, council and local commissioners. The district had been previously run by federally appointed commissioners and members of Congress, some of whom balked at having to deal with potholes and other details of running a city of 700,000 residents. So far, Trump's criticisms of Washington can be felt most directly in the actions of the National Park Service, which controls large pieces of land throughout the capital. In Trump's second administration, the agency has stepped up its clearing of homeless encampments on Park Service land and recently carried out a series of arrests of people smoking marijuana in public parks. Earlier in the week, the agency said a statue of a Confederate military leader that was toppled by protesters in 2020 would be restored and replaced, in line with an executive order.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Justice Department targets New York attorney general, a Trump foe. Here's what to know
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump's Justice Department is zeroing in on New York Attorney General Letitia James with a subpoena for records related to the $454 million civil judgement she won against Trump for lying about his wealth, a person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press. The subpoena is part of an investigation into whether James violated Trump's civil rights, another person said. The people could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke Friday to the AP on the condition of anonymity. Another subpoena seeks records related to James' lawsuit involving the National Rifle Association, a person familiar with the matter said. On top of that, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently named a special prosecutor to help conduct a mortgage fraud investigation into James. James has sued Trump and his Republican administration dozens of times over his policies as president and over how he conducted his private business empire. Trump vowed on the campaign trail to seek retribution against his opponents, and the moves against James are among the most serious yet against Trump's political foes by the Justice Department. Here's what to know about James and the escalating investigations: James says she's being politically targeted The Democratic attorney general has denied any wrongdoing and said the mortgage probe is politically motivated. Her personal attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, called the subpoenas 'improper.' 'Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration,' Lowell said. 'The art of the steal' James is the first Black woman elected to statewide office in New York, the state's first Black attorney general and the first woman elected to the post. She fixated on Trump during the 2018 campaign, branding him as a 'con man' and pledging to shine a 'bright light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings.' As soon as she took office, James launched several lawsuits over his immigration and environmental policies. She inherited a state lawsuit against Trump's charitable foundation and steered it to a settlement that included a $2 million fine. She filed another civil lawsuit against Trump in September 2022, alleging that his company deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing assets and his net worth on financial paperwork. 'It's the art of the steal,' she said when announcing the case against Trump, turning the title of Trump's book 'The Art of the Deal' against him. Trump says James never intended to be fair In 2024, a New York judge ruled that Trump lied for years about his wealth and ordered him to pay $354.9 million in penalties plus nearly $100 million in interest. Trump is appealing the judgement. He also posted a $175 million bond to halt the state from collecting what he owes and seizing his assets. Trump says his financial statements actually understated his wealth and that any mistakes in the documents were harmless errors that played no role in banks' lending decisions. He and his lawyers repeatedly accused James of engaging in 'lawfare' for political purposes — a claim she denies. Trump has long criticized James′ legal volleys as political theater designed to catapult her to fame. Trump also complained that her comments about him, prior to her election, show she never intended to be fair. 'Corporate death penalty' In her role as a regulator of charities and nonprofit groups registered in New York, James sued the NRA and its longtime leader Wayne LaPierre. A jury last year found that LaPierre misspent millions of dollars and used the organization's funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle, while the NRA itself failed to properly manage its assets and violated whistleblower protections. A New York judge also banned LaPierre from holding a paid position with the organization for a decade, but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the group. James had sought to dissolve the powerful gun advocacy organization, however a judge ruled that the allegations did not warrant a 'corporate death penalty.' Mortgage fraud investigation FBI Director Kash Patel in May confirmed James was being investigated after a Trump administration official accused her of mortgage fraud. James' lawyer says the accusation was a lie based on a purposeful misreading of documents. The investigation centers on forms James signed in 2023 while helping a niece buy a home in Norfolk, Virginia. One form stated that James intended to occupy the home as her 'principal residence.' But in other documents, James made clear she had no intention of living there. An email to the mortgage loan broker two weeks before she signed the documents stated the property 'WILL NOT be my primary residence.' This week, Bondi named Ed Martin as a special prosecutor to help conduct a mortgage fraud investigation into James, according to the person familiar with the matter. James denied any wrongdoing and called the claim politically motivated. Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which is examining Trump's claims of anti-conservative bias inside the Justice Department. Martin's nomination for District of Columbia U.S. attorney was pulled amid Republican lawmakers' concerns about his scant prosecutorial experience and support for Jan. 6 rioters.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Newsweek
Beto O'Rourke Defiant After Legal Blow in Texas Redistricting Standoff
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Beto O'Rourke was defiant after a judge temporarily barred him and his political group from helping fund Texas Democratic lawmakers who left their home state to block redrawn congressional maps, which President Donald Trump has backed. The ruling marks a victory for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who alleged O'Rourke's group Powered by People engaged in bribery and deceptive fundraising. Paxton "wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization," O'Rourke, a former Texas congressman who ran unsuccessfully for governor and Senate, wrote on X after the ruling on Friday. "He wants to stop us from fighting Trump's attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I'm not going anywhere." Newsweek has contacted Paxton's office and O'Rourke through Powered by People for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks to attendees during a "Our Fight, Our Future" rally at The Millennium bowling alley on October 02, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks to attendees during a "Our Fight, Our Future" rally at The Millennium bowling alley on October 02, 2024 in Austin, It Matters The Democratic lawmakers who left Texas have denied their Republican colleagues the quorum needed for a vote on the redrawn maps that could net the GOP five additional seats in the 2026 midterm elections. They face thousands of dollars in out-of-state lodging and dining costs. They also face fines of $500 for each day they are absent and these cannot be paid from their office budgets or political contributions under Texas House rules. Those who left have declined to say how long they'll hold out. What To Know Powered by People gave money to the Texas House Democratic Caucus to help cover their up-front costs, a spokesperson for the group told The Associated Press earlier this week. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey, a Republican who was appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2019 and has since won reelection, granted Paxton's request for a temporary injunction. "Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate" state law and House procedures, she wrote in her ruling. Her order bars Powered by People from using political funds to pay for travel, hotel or dining costs for the Texas Democrats who left the state or fundraising on their behalf. Powered by People filed a responding lawsuit against Paxton on Friday, alleging his investigation violates the group's right to association, free speech and equal protection, the Houston Chronicle reported. "The true motivation behind defendant's action thus appears to be an unlawful desire to retaliate against Mr. O'Rourke," it said. What People Are Saying Paxton celebrated the judge's ruling, saying in a statement on Friday: "Today, I stopped his deceptive financial influence scheme that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional process. They told me to 'come and take it,' so I did.'" O'Rourke responded to Paxton on X, saying: "Actually, you didn't. Still here, still raising and rallying to stop the steal of 5 congressional seats in Texas. Ironic that you'd accuse someone of bribery when you were impeached in Texas for taking bribes from Nate Paul." (Paxton was acquitted of bribery and corruption charges by the Republican-led Texas Senate in 2023 after the GOP-controlled House voted to impeach him). In another post, he wrote: "They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won't. Paxton is trying to shut down Powered by People, one of the largest voter registration organizations in the country, because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections... the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, Trump and Abbott have on power in Texas." What's Next O'Rourke is set to speak at a rally—dubbed "The People vs. The Power Grab"— in Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon. Fahey's order is to remain in effect for two weeks. She has scheduled a hearing for August 19.
