The Erosion of Justice: Oklahoma
Examining Due Process and Corruption in Oklahoma's Family Court System
Social media and local news airwaves have been increasing with cries of injustice in the state of Oklahoma. Though there is certainly a place for the tool of family court and systems to tackle crime, corruption and injustice seem to be becoming more frequently used vocabulary for Oklahoma citizens. From the Woolley Case in Wagoner County to the questionable behaviour of some elected and hired law enforcement officials in McCurtain County, Oklahomans are beginning to wonder if their local governmental systems are actually working in the favour of We The People.
No doubt, ‘Backing The Blue’, is still an overall mantra in conservative Oklahoma, as it should be, but many can’t help but wonder if some of our family court and law enforcement systems within the state have become a little, out of touch, with the term innocent until proven guilty. An increasing number of families and parents in the state have begun to feel railroaded by the family court system’s lack of due process in many areas of investigation and interpretation of crime.
Has Lady Justice removed her blindfold?
What’s considered “punishment” in the eyes of the law VS the reality of a person’s livelihood? If a father loses access to his children for months or even years, before any conclusion has arrived, is that justice? If a person is jailed month after month while charges from the prosecution are being shifted until something “sticks” (or doesn’t), is that being treated as innocent until proven guilty? If a family’s finances are drained into the court systems just to stay afloat, in an attempt to defend their innocence, did justice prevail? These are all common practices found within Oklahoma’s criminal justice system according to real life expiriences, regardless of what is written in law or proceedure. These punishments appear to not even have a concrete crime to be fitted to, yet they are still administered by our justice system.
If the government is to hold the people accountable, who holds the government accountable? In the end, all systems are made up of people. Does the possibility of corruption, bias, and careless work suddenly disappear because a system larger than one individual was organised and agreed upon?
Wade Reeves, a father and business owner in the state of Oklahoma, had his rude awakening to the state’s family court system’s shortcomings in the fall of 2022. Wade and his, now former wife, divorced back in California and in August of 2016. A marriage settlement agreement was made in August of 2018, but according to Wade, this contract was breached by his ex-wife in California three years later (2021).
In Mr. Reeve’s own words: “A commissioner, without jurisdiction and without proper stipulation, ordered a modification of the martial settlement agreement. This raised the child support cost (for Wade) from $1,292 a month to $7,000 a month.” However, much more than $7,000 monthly was threatened.
Reeves received the below email, which he maintains was a threat from a California attorney to increase his monthly child support payments to $10,000 a month.
Wade’s ex-wife then filed an application to register the foreign (California) judgment, in Oklahoma, without an evidentiary hearing. Wade appealed this judgement and lost. He then petitioned for a certiorari order, which was also denied. In fact, every motion Wade has filed with the Tulsa County Court has been rejected by those in authority.
We know for a fact that the family court systems, particularly divorce court, lean in favour of the paternal mother. It is also important to note that judges are told to always lean in favour of the prosecution (the team trying to take down the other parent), and not the defendant. There tends to be this sort of blind trust (and don’t question) the system mentality, as well as a ‘good ol’ boy’ mentality of backing your own, no matter the circumstances.
“The fact with my case is, I’ve always paid my contractual agreement every single month. My ex breached the contract by having a governmental agency fraudulently threaten me with jail, threaten me with attorney fees, threaten me with paying upwards to $10,000 a month”, says Reeves.
It appears there may be an attempt to financially drain Mr. Reeves, as punishment for his lack of cooperation with these unreasonable, and potentially illegal, changes to agreements and child support fees.
The Careless Work of Corruption Will Cost More Than Just Money
It is not only Wade that bears the weight of injustice on a daily basis, but also his family. He remarried and has two children with his wife in Oklahoma, while still fighting for his children from his previous marriage. In the end, regardless of which adult is awarded anything, the children always seem to pay the price.
Wade believes he is being financially extorted by both the California and Oklahoma justice system, all at once. His children are caught in the middle of the chaos and his well-being is challenged more and more each day. Getting his story out to the people is a significant step in the process towards justice.
Despite the challenges and occasional moments of perceived defeat, Wade presses on with hopes of brighter future for his family and the state of Oklahoma.
Several state lawmakers have rallied together over the recent years to help address the concern of a broken justice system in Oklahoma. Local media has covered the story for some time now, and families like the Reeves, Woolleys, and many more have realised that they are not alone in this uphill battle toward justice.
See (Oklahoma) story here: Group of lawmakers to begin multi-year push for DA and sheriff reform
You can keep up with Wade’s ongoing battle on his new Facebook page: Justice for Reeves Family
This is an editorial article based on a combination of opinions, research, and personal experiences.