Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office undersheriff Rick Weigel. Courtesy
Tulsa County Undersheriff Rick Weigel confirmed Tuesday that he testified in front of a grand jury investigating the sheriff’s office, but had no specific comment on what transpired behind closed doors.
Weigel spent about 90 minutes testifying on Tuesday, leaving the courthouse alone at 10:30 a.m.
Weigel joined the sheriff’s office in 2008 and became undersheriff following the forced resignation of Tim Albin earlier this year. He is among the more than 20 people who have offered testimony since the grand jury began about eight weeks ago.
Rob Barris, Okmulgee County District Attorney, and Kevin Buchanan, Washington County District Attorney are overseeing the grand jury proceedings.
Sheriff Stanley Glanz said that he would appear before the grand jury on Wednesday. Glanz told a reporter from The Frontier that he was “tired of all the bullshit” surrounding his office following the April 2 killing of Eric Harris by Robert Bates, a wealthy reserve deputy and donor to the sheriff’s office.
Glanz had previously said that he did not intend to resign — the grand jury petition is seeking his removal from office — but he indicated Monday that it was an option he was weighing.
Clark Brewster, an attorney with deep ties to Glanz, appeared for a closed hearing Monday in District Judge Rebecca Nightengale’s court. Brewster was accompanied by a criminal defense attorney, Paul DeMuro, and refused to say whether he had been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury.
He left after a hearing that lasted less than an hour Monday morning. Paper covered the windows in the door to Nightengale’s courtroom. That hearing will begin again at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The hearing was apparently over a sealed motion filed last week by prosecutors leading the grand jury. DeMuro filed a response to the motion,also under seal, and indicated he was representing Brewster’s law firm.
Given the timing of the hearings involving Brewster, the judge may be considering whether to allow him to accompany Glanz when the sheriff testifies.
Glanz is one of only a handful of high-ranking sheriff’s officials expected to appear before the grand jury, but whom have not yet testified. Terry Simonson, the sheriff’s director of governmental affairs, has not been seen going into the grand jury room.
Albin, who was forced into retirement by Glanz on April 27, was seen on Monday exiting the area where the grand jury meets, but did not confirm that he testified.
It’s unclear whether Bates will be compelled to testify.
Others who have testified include former Maj. Shannon Clark, who was fired in May, and former Capt. Billy McKelvey, who was demoted following an undisclosed internal affairs investigation and resigned weeks ago.
Most of the key players from a leaked 2009 Internal Affairs report documenting alleged preferential treatment Bates received have also testified.
