Can you discuss your experiences with the prosecutors in the Oklahoma City Municipal Court and the Cleveland County District Court?
Answer: Most of the prosecutors are pretty easy to deal with; the only time that you run into different prosecutors in the same court is Oklahoma City Municipal Court and the Cleveland County District Court. Oklahoma City Municipal Court has six different prosecutors that handle what they call “jury division charges.” Those prosecutors all have a guideline format that they’re supposed to follow, but they do have some discretion within that format and there are some some of those prosecutors are a lot more open to going away from the norm, if you will, if you have a legitimate reason for that to be necessary. It’s one of those things where you have to know the prosecutors, you have to know how to deal with them in order to get the best outcome for your client. As far as Cleveland County District Court, same thing—anytime you’re dealing with a prosecutor, you’ve got to know their quirks, their tendencies on different cases. The judges on the other hand, you have to understand not only their tendencies but also their backgrounds when you go to file motions, when you deal with trying to get a case dismissed, or if you’re talking about having your client enter a blind plea. If you don’t know the judge’s background, you have no idea what they may do in a case like that.