Acting Tulsa County Sheriff Rick Weigel speaks to the media for the first time since Stanley Glanz was charged with two misdemeanors. Glanz announced on Wednesday he would resign from his role as Sheriff on Wednesday. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier
Rick Weigel walked into the media conference room Thursday afternoon and spoke briefly with assembled reporters before he launched his first briefing as acting sheriff.
Weigel, who has served as the undersheriff under Stanley Glanz since May, thanked reporters for attending, and apologized for not only the short notice of the briefing, but for what would be a very short meeting.
“And keep in mind,” he joked, “this is my first time.”
When he took the podium, Weigel thanked the grand jurors, who met for more than 20 days and interviewed more than 30 people over the course of nine-plus weeks. He thanked them not just for their service, but for their acknowledgement in filings on Wednesday that sheriff’s office employees had served with “honor, respect, and integrity” during the investigation.
He then said that he had officially taken over as sheriff at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. How long that reign will last is unknown. Gov. Mary Fallin is expected this month to set dates for a special election for sheriff, though state officials have not yet commented on that process.
Weigel told reporters that the eight recommendations made by the grand jury in their initial report would all be applied.
“We agree with their eight recommendations and will begin immediately to implement them all,” Weigel said.
About an hour after Weigel assumed office Thursday, Glanz quietly appeared in court with his attorney, Scott Wood.
Glanz was released on his own recognizance, meaning he will not be booked into jail on the two misdemeanor charges, Wood said.
Wood told The Frontier he and Glanz appeared before District Judge Rebecca Nightingale at 9:30 a.m. No plea took place — Wood said Wednesday that Glanz planned on pleading not guilty on Nov. 1o, when he next returns to Nightingale’s court.
Now that Glanz has announced his resignation it’s unclear who is paying for Glanz’s legal representation. Wood has said Glanz will resign before the Nov. 10 hearing and said yesterday in an interview with a local TV station that he may target Nov. 1 as a resignation date.
Wood also previously represented Robert Bates after Bates shot and killed an unarmed man April 2 during an undercover gun sting in north Tulsa. Wood said last week that although he represented Bates in the past, he will not represent him as his criminal case moves forward.
Bates is set for trial in February.
Stanley Glanz, right, along with his attorney, Scott Wood, exists the room where the grand jury meets Sept. 23, 2015. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier
Glanz was charged Wednesday with “willful violation of the law” for allegedly taking a $600 a month stipend while still regularly using a county vehicle, and “refusal to perform official duty” for allegedly refusing to produce documents related to Bates’ prior training.
Glanz being shuffled in and out of court Thursday morning is reminiscent of how Bates’ preliminary hearing was handled in June. Bates was originally scheduled for a preliminary hearing in July, but early on June 26, reporters were notified that the hearing had been set for 11:30 a.m.
However, Bates and his attorney, Clark Brewster, appeared in court, waived the hearing, and exited before any reporters could arrive.
Undersheriff Rick Weigel will assume the role of sheriff, possibly immediately. On Wednesday, grand jurors released a lengthy document calling for Glanz, who was driving back to Tulsa from Colorado at the time, to not just be removed from office but to be suspended from operations immediately.
Glanz does not yet have a court filing for the two misdemeanor counts he faces. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said on Wednesday that he had recused himself from the case, and on Thursday Aaron Cooper, spokesman for Attorney General Scott Pruitt, said that that Okmulgee County District Attorney Rob Barris would be in charge of the case.
Barris, along with Washington County District Attorney Kevin Buchanan, served as legal advisors during the grand jury investigation.
Vicki Goodson, chief deputy of the Tulsa County Court Clerk’s Office, said it was her believe that Barris would soon be filing the two criminal cases against Glanz with her office. To date, the indictments against Glanz exist only in the grand jury court case on OSCN.
“They could file the case together, where both charges are in one file, or separate files,” Goodson said. “I don’t know. But it’s my expectation that we will be receiving it soon”
Grand jury recommendations for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
- The grand jury recommends that TCSO policies are adhered to closely and uniformly.
- Although CLEET has a grandfather policy the grand jury suggests that the TCSO adopts an internal policy that even if a person has been certified by CLEET if they have been absent from law enforcement for more than five years they must complete the full application process, testing, and training requirements of a full time deputy.
- The grand jury finds it necessary that the TCSO establish and adhere to policies specifically regarding training and experience requirements for assignment by department. In specific, specialized units such as SOT, task forces, etc.
- It has been determined that the method of training and personnel documentation compliance needs to be improved. The grand jury suggests a person or committee specifically tasked with making sure the training and personnel records are complete, uniform and up to date. These records should be subject to a regular audit.
- Better accountability of field training hours.
- The grand jury recommends that at any time a transfer or reassignment occurs, a copy of the deputy’s training records shall accompany that reassignment and be signed off on as complete and sufficient for the new assignment by the new chain of command.
- The grand jury requests that TCSO make the internal affairs department more autonomous from the TCSO itself. In addition it is recommended that each and every investigation be assigned an internal affairs number.
- The grand jury suggests that TCSO create some type of fully anonymous avenue for employees to report an issue. It is also suggest that these reports are documented and maintained.
