Slip opinions decided 2025 — Oklahoma Criminal Reports

¶1 Appellant, Rodney Vaughn Thompson, was tried by the court and convicted in the District Court of Canadian County, Case No. CF-2018-729 of: Count 1, Aggravated Trafficking in Illegal Drugs, in violation of 63 O.S.Supp.2018, § 2-415 (C); Count 2, Trafficking in Illegal Drugs, in violation of 63 O.S.Supp.2018, § 2-415 (B); and Count 3, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 63 O.S.Supp.2018, § 2-401 (A)(1). The trial court found Appellant guilty on all counts and sentenced Appellant to fifteen years imprisonment, with all but the first five years suspended on Count 1; and five years imprisonment on Counts 2 and 3. The trial court ordered the sentences to run concurrently with one another.

¶1 Appellant, Marvin Keith Stitt, was convicted of Aggravated Speeding (Tulsa, Okla., Rev. Ordinances Title 37, § 617(C) (2021)) following a non-jury trial before the Honorable Mitchell McCune, Municipal Judge, and fined $250.00 in City of Tulsa Municipal Court Citation/Case No. 7569655.

¶1 On March 6, 2025, this Court issued its opinion in the above-referenced case, affirming the Judgment and Sentence in City of Tulsa Municipal Court Citation/Case No. 7569655.

¶1 Following a non-jury trial, Appellant, appearing pro se, was convicted of being in Actual Physical Control of a Vehicle Under the Influence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance ( 47 O.S.2021, § 11-902 (A)(3)) in Comanche County District Court Case No. CM-2023-137. The Honorable Susan Zwaan, Special Judge, presided at trial, found Appellant guilty, and sentenced him to one year in the Comanche County Detention Center, all suspended, and assessed a fine of $300.00. From this judgment and sentence, Appellant appeals.

¶1 William Lewis Reece, Appellant, was tried by jury on Murder in the First Degree, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.1997, § 701.7 (A), in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CF-2015-6989, before the Honorable Susan Stallings, District Judge. The jury found Reece guilty and sentenced him to death after finding the following aggravating circumstances: (1) the defendant was previously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person; (2) the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel; (3) the murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or prosecution; and (4) the existence of a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society. See 21 O.S.1991, § 701.12 (1), (4), (5), and (7). The trial court later sentenced Reece in accordance with the jury's verdict. From this Judgment and Sentence, Reece has perfected his appeal to this Court.

¶1 This Court has been informed that the Opinion issued on July 10, 2025, in the above styled case, cited Reece v. State, 2025 OK CR 8 , inadvertently misspelled the victim's name in the Opinion. 1 The Opinion and Mandate is, therefore, withdrawn and stricken and a new Opinion will be issued as Reece v. State, 2025 OK CR 10.

¶1 William Lewis Reece, Appellant, was tried by jury on Murder in the First Degree, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.1997, § 701.7 (A), in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CF-2015-6989, before the Honorable Susan Stallings, District Judge. The jury found Reece guilty and sentenced him to death after finding the following aggravating circumstances: (1) the defendant was previously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person; (2) the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel; (3) the murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or prosecution; and (4) the existence of a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society. See 21 O.S.1991, § 701.12 (1), (4), (5), and (7). The trial court later sentenced Reece in accordance with the jury's verdict. From this Judgment and Sentence, Reece has perfected his appeal to this Court.

¶1 Before this Court is an order from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit entered in the pending appeal styled Sincere Terry, et al v. Gentner Drummond , et al , No. 24-6046. The Judges therein certify the following question to this Court:

¶1 On February 22, 2024, Petitioner, Deadrea Zenise Broadstone, entered a negotiated plea of guilty in the District Court of Tulsa County, Case No. CF-2023-1438, to Count 1: Felon in Possession of a Firearm, After Former Conviction of Two or more Felonies, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2022, § 1283; and Count 2: Possession of Stolen Property under $1,000.00, a misdemeanor, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 1713. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Petitioner was ordered to complete the Women in Recovery (WIR) program. The failure to do so would result in the imposition of a ten-year sentence of imprisonment. The Honorable Sharon K. Holmes, District Judge, accepted Broadstone's plea and postponed sentencing for Petitioner to complete the WIR program.

¶1 On May 9, 2025, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Committee for Preparation of Uniform Criminal Jury Instructions (Committee) submitted its report and recommendations to the Court for adoption of amendments to Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions-Criminal (Second Edition) (OUJI-CR (2d)). The Court has reviewed the report and recommendations by the Committee for the adoption of the proposed 2025 revisions to the Uniform Jury Instructions. Pursuant to 12 O.S.2021, § 577.1 , the Court accepts that report and finds the revisions should be adopted.

¶1 We find that a new Form should be adopted and certain existing Forms revised due to the Sentencing Modernization Act of 2024 as well as several needed updates. To that end, we find that amending Forms 13.8 and 13.10; and the creation of Form 13.18 is necessary. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1051(B) of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, we hereby revise, adopt, promulgate, and republish portions of the Rules of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals , Title 22, Ch. 18, App. (2025), as set forth in the following attachment ( strikethrough denotes deleted words, underline denotes added words).

¶1 Appellant, Jonathan Portillo Lopez, was tried and convicted by a jury in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CF-2021-919, of Murder in the First Degree, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2012, § 701.7 . 1 The jury sentenced Lopez to life imprisonment. The Honorable Susan Stallings, District Judge, presided at trial and pronounced judgment and sentence in accordance with the jury's verdict and further imposed a $50.00 fine. Lopez must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming parole eligible. 21 O.S.Supp.2015, § 13.1 .

¶1 On September 16, 2025, Appellee, the State of Oklahoma, by and through Attorney General Gentner F. Drummond, filed a Motion To Publish Opinion in the above-styled case. The Attorney General asserts that publication of this Court's Summary Opinion herein, Bu v. State , Case No. F-2023-615 (August 21, 2025) (Not for Publication), is warranted because it addressed an issue of first impression.

¶1 Appellant Cia Dong Bu appeals his Judgment and Sentence from the District Court of Pontotoc County, Case No. CF-2022-65, for Cultivation of Controlled Substance (Count 1), in violation of 63 O.S.2021, § 2-509 . 1 The Honorable Steve Kessinger, District Judge, presided over Bu's jury trial and sentenced him to four years imprisonment and a $50,000.00 fine.

¶1 On September 24, 2025, a uniform document was submitted to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for consideration for use by district court judges in support of the initial determination of bail. The Court has reviewed the document entitled Court's Findings for Purposes of Initial Bail Determination and approves the discretionary use of the form by state district court judges as a form, checklist, or guide, and further issues this administrative directive for purposes of providing notice of the availability of said form.

¶1 Appellant Cody Leaon Bertrand appeals his Judgment and Sentence from the District Court of Rogers County, Case No. CF-2020-158, for two counts of Lewd or Indecent Acts to a Child Under 12, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2017, § 1123 (A)(2). The Honorable Terrell S. Crosson, Special Judge, presided over Bertrand's jury trial and sentenced him according to the jury's verdict to twenty-five years imprisonment and a $5,000.00 fine on Count 1 and forty-five years imprisonment and a $10,000.00 fine on Count 2. 1 Judge Crosson awarded credit for time served and ordered the counts to run consecutively with each other and consecutive to Rogers County Case No. CF-2018-51. Bertrand appeals raising seven issues:

¶1 On March 11, 2024, Petitioner, Christopher Mitchell, entered a blind plea of guilty in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CF-2020-145, to Counts 1, 2 and 4: Embezzlement, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2017 & 2018, § 1451; Count 3: Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2017, § 1541.1 ; Count 5: Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2016 & 2017, § 1541.1, or in the alternative, Embezzlement, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.2016 & 2017, § 1451; and Counts 6 through 10: Violation of the Consumer Protection Act, in violation of 15 O.S.2011, § 761.1 . 1 The Honorable Susan Stallings, District Judge, accepted Mitchell's plea and delayed sentencing pending the completion and filing of a presentence investigation.

¶1 Petitioner, pro se , seeks to appeal the denial of his request to apply for resentencing under the Oklahoma Survivors' Act, 22 O.S.Supp.2024, § 1090.5 (C)(2), in Tulsa County District Court Case No. CF-2021-4683. Petitioner attached the trial court's order denying his request to apply for resentencing, dated July 1, 2025, to the "Appeal for Resentencing Pursuant to the Oklahoma Survivors' Act," filed in this Court on August 15, 2025.

¶1 Rolando Solomon Rodriguez, Appellant, was tried by jury and found guilty of domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 644 (D)(1), in the District Court of Tulsa County, Case No. CF-2023-2719. The jury found Appellant guilty after former conviction of two or more felonies and assessed punishment of twenty years imprisonment. The Honorable Michelle Keely, District Judge, pronounced judgment accordingly. Mr. Rodriguez appeals in the following propositions of error.

¶1 Appellant, Jennifer Haddock, appeals a final pretrial order denying her claim of statutory immunity from criminal prosecution and motion to dismiss under 21 O.S.Supp.2018, § 1289.25 (F). The State charged Haddock in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Case No. CF--2023--4586, with First Degree Heat of Passion Manslaughter, in violation of 21 O.S.2021, § 711 (2), for the shooting death of her brother, Sean Haddock.

¶1 Appellant Patrick Marquise Napoleon appeals his Judgment and Sentence from the District Court of Tulsa County, Case No. CF-2017-2208, for Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon, in violation of 21 O.S.2011, § 652 (C). The Honorable William D. LaFortune, District Judge, presided over Napoleon's jury trial and sentenced him, according to the jury's verdict, to sixty-five years imprisonment with credit for time served. 1 Napoleon raises seven issues for review: