Enforcing the law (original) (raw)
Former Oklahoma City Police Officer Sentenced To 263 Years For Sexual Assaults
Former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw, who was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting multiple women while on his beat, was sentenced to 263 years in prison.
Holtzclaw's sentencing Thursday was temporarily delayed, after his attorney requested a new trial. Holtzclaw claimed there was evidence that hadn't been presented at trial.
The judge rejected the request, and sentenced Holtzclaw to 263 years in prison, to be served consecutively. That's the maximum sentence, and the one which had been recommended by a jury last month.
As we reported at the time, the jury found Holtzclaw guilty of rapes and sexual assaults against eight women — in total, half of the 36 charges brought against him. He's expected to appeal the conviction.
The trial had raised concerns of potential racial bias: the jury was entirely white. Holtzclaw is half-white and half-Japanese, the Associated Press reports, while his victims were all black.