In pursuit of justice, spring 2011, v.4 no.2

              INSIDE:
Puppets Teach
Kids to Report
Abuse
3
Murder,
Manslaughter
Convictions
4-6
Robbery
Convictions
7
The Meth
Epidemic
11
Message from
The DA
12
S P R I N G 2 0 1 1
􀁈􄠠
Child abuse
casts a
shadow
the length
of a
lifetime.
─ Herbert Ward
􀁈􄠠
T I M H A R R I S
T U L S A C O U N T Y
D I S T R I C T
A T T O R N E Y
In Pursuit of Justice
V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 2
DA Sends 24 to Prison So Far in
2011 For Crimes Against Children
S ince declaring 2011 the Year of the Child, the
Tulsa County District Attorney’s office has
sent 24 offenders to prison for Crimes
Against Children. Prosecutors have recommended
stiff sentences and juries have levied significant
prison terms against those convicted, resulting in
many defendants opting to enter “blind pleas” to
allow judges to determine a sentence rather than
going to trial or accepting a
plea negotiation from
prosecutors.
IN JANUARY:
JERRY DAVELLE BENSON
entered a “blind plea” of
guilty to two counts of
CHILD ABUSE BY INJURY,
two counts of CHILD NE-GLECT
and five counts
involving DRUG DEALING.
District Judge William
Musseman sentenced Ben-son
to two LIFE sentences
for CHILD ABUSE, and
two 25-YEAR TERMS for
CHILD NEGLECT. The
judge ordered those sentences to run consecutively.
Sheriff’s deputies who served a search warrant for
drugs at Benson’s home in September 2010 said
they found two badly beaten 8-YEAR-OLD BOYS
with bruised and swollen heads and faces. Assistant
DA Sarah McAmis prosecuted. Benson had FIVE
PRIOR FELONY CONVICTIONS for BURGLARY,
ROBBERY, OBTAINING MONEY BY FALSE PRE-TENSE,
DEFRAUDING THE STATE and ASSAULT
AND BATTERY ON A POLICE OFFICER.
Co-defendant PRECIOUS JOY BENSON entered a
“blind” plea to two counts of ENABLING CHILD
ABUSE and two counts of CHILD NEGLECT and
was sentenced to a 15-YEAR SUSPENDED
SENTENCE by District Judge Carlos Chappelle.
Assistant DAs Sarah McAmis and Gary Davis
prosecuted.
A jury convicted MICHAEL JOHN TIBBETTS of
three counts of LEWD MOLESTATION of three
GIRLS, AGES 8, 7, AND 4. The abuse occurred
between May 2006 and July 2008. The jury sen-tenced
Tibbetts to 15 YEARS IN PRISON on each
count, and District Judge Dana Kuehn ordered the
counts to run consecutive, for a total of 45 YEARS.
Assistant DA Erik Grayless prosecuted.
SHAWN STEPHEN CLARK halted jury selection in his
trial and pled guilty to six counts OF LEWD MOLES-TATION
of two GIRLS 8 and 10 YEARS OLD,
in February–March 2010. Clark was sentenced to
15 YEARS IN PRISON and 5 YEARS PROBATION by
District Judge Tom Gillert. Assistant DA Sarah
McAmis prosecuted.
ROBERT DANIEL BURNS en-tered
a “blind plea” to three
counts of LEWD MOLESTA-TION
and one count of CHILD
SEXUAL ABUSE in assaults on a
6-YEAR-OLD GIRL and two
12-YEAR-OLD GIRLS. The
abuse of the younger girl oc-curred
between January 2008
and January 2009 and the older
girls were abused between
March 2009 and March 2010.
District Judge Tom Gillert sen-tenced
Burns to FOUR TERMS
OF LIFE IN PRISON, to run
concurrently. Burns had FIVE
PRIOR FELONY CONVICTIONS
for POSSESSION OF DRUGS
and DUI. Assistant DA Sarah McAmis prosecuted.
IN FEBRUARY:
MICHAEL ALCALA was convicted of two counts of
SEXUAL ABUSE of a GIRL. The child was abused
from the time she WAS 8 YEARS OLD until she was
10 YEARS OLD from December 2006 until February
2009. The jury sentenced Alcala to 50 YEARS in
prison, 25 Years on each count. District Judge William
Kellough later ordered the two sentences to run
concurrently and suspended five years for a total of
20 YEARS IN PRISON. Assistant DA Erik Grayless
prosecuted.
JARED THROWER pled guilty to two counts of CHILD
ABUSE BY INJURY of 8 AND 9-YEAR-OLD GIRLS in
May 2008 and DOMESTIC ASSAULT AND BATTERY
on his wife and was sentenced to 10 YEARS IN
PRISON. Assistant DA Ben Fu negotiated the plea.
JOHN SWYDEN pled guilty to LEWD MOLESTATION,
SODOMY, AND SECOND-DEGREE RAPE of two
GIRLS, 12 AND 14 YEARS OLD. He was sentenced
to 15 YEARS IN PRISON. Assistant DA Linsey Wil-liams
negotiated the plea.
See MORE CHILD CASES Page 2