The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw who was convicted of sex crimes.
Holtzclaw and his attorney filed a 29-page petition on Jan. 6 to seek review of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ judgment against him, News 9 reported.
According to their petition, the case warrants the Supreme Court justices’ attention due to three primary reasons:
- “The Oklahoma City Police Department’s biased investigation and procurement of 13 accusers,”
- the “flawed testimony” and “false analysis” of flawed DNA evidence,
- and the secret hearings concerning the flawed DNA evidence.
SCOTUS denied the petition Monday.
Holtzclaw was accused in 2014 of sexually assaulting a woman during a traffic stop in northeast Oklahoma City. He was arrested shortly thereafter.
Moreover, during the course of the Oklahoma City Police Department’s investigation, 13 women accused Holtzclaw of sexual misconduct.
He was found guilty on 18 of the 36 charges by a jury in Oklahoma County. In January of 2016 he was sentenced to 263 years in prison, reported the news organization.
Holtzclaw’s sister Jenny Holtzclaw released the following statement after the court denied the petition:
“While we are disappointed, it is important to note that the high court’s denial of Daniel’s cert petition does not necessarily mean that the panel agrees with the OCCA’s outrageously flawed and scientifically-illiterate decision. According to the Court’s rules, at least four justices must agree that the lower court’s ruling warrants review.
“The post-conviction process is a marathon, not a sprint. The average time it takes to exonerate an innocent person like Daniel is upwards of 14 years. As the University of Michigan reported last year, there were 151 exonerations in 2018, representing a ‘total number of years lost to exonerees of more than 21,000 years.’ This is devastating and Daniel lives through it every day, but he remains strong in his faith and spirit.”
Holtzclaw’s sister also released a statement on his behalf:
“I urge Americans everywhere who are concerned about our criminal injustice system to learn more about the true facts of the bias-driven investigation–and especially about the brazenly illegal secret hearings, the cover-up of the police department crime lab’s systemic failures, false testimony, prosecutorial misconduct, and suppression of vital e-mails in my case.
“This case is not just about me, but about unknown other wrongfully accused and convicted Oklahomans whose cases OCPD forensic analyst Elaine Taylor and Det. Kim Davis – who came out of retirement and is now shockingly back working for the department – collaborated on together. I urge Gov. Stitt to ask what the crime lab and police brass are hiding and why.
“I am grateful that my legal team and supporters are pursuing all post-conviction avenues to prove my complete and total innocence. We will fight on and never, ever give up the pursuit of truth, justice, and freedom. The very integrity of Oklahoma’s criminal justice system is on trial.”
Click here to read Holtzclaw’s full petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.
