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After 35 years, Perry Lott receives delayed justice
News
October 19, 2023
After 35 years, Perry Lott receives delayed justice
By KEATON ROSS OKLAHOMA WATCH,

Perry Lott had been out of prison for nearly four years when I met him for coffee and pastries in April 2022. But he didn’t feel completely free.

While a judge agreed to release Lott from prison in July 2018 in light of new DNA evidence, the agreement forbade him from seeking financial compensation. The arrangement also required Lott to remain on unsupervised probation for the remainder of his life.

Lott spoke at length about the struggle of rebuilding his life after more than three decades behind bars. While his peers had established careers and paid off mortgages, he lived paycheck to paycheck working as a front desk clerk at an apartment complex.

“I’ve made peace with it, but it hasn’t made peace with me,” Lott told me. “After 31 years in prison, I came out of nowhere. My own brothers and sisters don’t even know me anymore. It’s a detachment that occurred and nobody can do anything about it.”

More than 35 years after he was wrongfully convicted of the 1987 rape of an Ada woman and sentenced to 300 years in prison, Lott received some delayed justice last week.

Pontotoc County Judge Steven Kessinger agreed to vacate the remaining criminal charges against Lott with prejudice, officially making him a free man. Several media outlets, including The Oklahoman and The Associated Press, covered the hearing.

As I reported in September 2021, it’s often a lengthy, arduous and expensive process for Oklahoma prisoners to seek post-conviction relief. While a handful of states and dozens of local district attorney’s offices have established conviction integrity units to investigate possible wrongful convictions, no such body has sprouted up in Oklahoma. Organizations like The Innocence Project are fierce advocates for the wrongfully convicted, but they don’t have the resources to tackle every case.

When district courts do overturn a conviction, prosecutors sometimes seek to appeal that ruling. For instance, a district court ruled to overturn Ward’s conviction in 2020 but the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned that decision.

Oklahoma’s financial compensation for the wrongfully convicted, which is capped at a lump sum of $175,000, also pales in comparison to some surrounding states. In Texas, a person wrongfully convicted may receive $80,000 per year they were behind bars. To put that in perspective, Lott would be eligible to receive nearly $2.5 million under Texas law.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, hosted an interim study on wrongful conviction compensation in September 2022. The Legislature did not take up any bills on the issue this year.

Have a story idea or tip you think Oklahoma Watch should look into? Let me know at Kross@Oklahomawatch.org.

Honey Springs to host a Civil War Christmas
News
Honey Springs to host a Civil War Christmas
December 7, 2023
The annual Civil War Christmas program will return to Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center near Checotah on Saturday, December 9, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This family-friendly event will inclu...
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Ernest James Sumner
Obituaries
Ernest James Sumner
December 7, 2023
Ernest “Ernie” James Sumner, 86, of Checotah, Oklahoma passed away Monday, November 20, 2023, at home surrounded by family. He was born September 17, 1937, in Claremore to Grover and Iva (Hester) Sumn...
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News
OESC empowers veterans with comprehensive employment services
December 7, 2023
Personalized programs and resources foster meaningful careers in Oklahoma OKLAHOMA CITY – In observance of Veterans Day this pst weekend, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) is sharing ...
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2023 Ring-Necked Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook
Sports
2023 Ring-Necked Pheasant Hunting Season Outlook
December 7, 2023
Ring-necked pheasants remain a popular upland game species among Oklahoma hunters. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation monitors the pheasant population by conducting two annual surveys: s...
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Lake Eufaula Fishing Report
Sports
Lake Eufaula Fishing Report
December 7, 2023
November 24. Elevation is 1.5 ft. below normal and stable, water temperature 55°F and stained. (USACE Lake Level) Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass fair on crankbaits, jigs, lipless baits, and ...
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High School State Championship Scores
By 6A1 Bixby 49 Jenks 21 
December 7, 2023
6AII Muskogee 28 Stillwater 26 5A Carl Albert 35 Del City 14 4A Blanchard 19 Wagoner 14 Class 3A Lincoln Christian 48 Heritage Hall 28 2A Semi Millwood 34 Kiefer 29 Washington 35 Jones 34 Class A Semi...
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Remembering Pearl Harbor
Sports
Remembering Pearl Harbor
December 7, 2023
December 7, 1941 At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japa...
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Cowboys to play Texas A&M in TaxAct Texas Bowl
December 7, 2023
The Oklahoma State football team makes its second appearance in the TaxAct Texas Bowl when it takes on Texas A&M at 8 p.m. CT on December 27 at NRG Stadium. It will be OSU’s fourth bowl game played in...
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Sports
Bulldogs bite Ironheads in season opener
By DAVID SEELEY SPECIAL TO THE INDIAN JOURNAL 
December 7, 2023
MULDROW -- The Muldrow High School basketball teams opened their 2023-24 basketball seasons successfully as they swept the visiting Eufaula squads Tuesday night at Roger Sharp Activity Center. The Lad...
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Sports
Hunting Seasons
December 7, 2023
DEER Deer Archery Oct 1, 2023 - Jan 15, 2024 Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun Dec 18, 2023 - Dec 31, 2023 ELK Holiday Antlerless Elk Gun Dec 18, 2023 - Dec 31, 2023 ANTELOPE Antelope Gun (doe only, draw on...
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Court Report
December 7, 2023
McIntosh County District Court Report Felony Cases Alysia Marie Anderson: falsely personate another to create liability Twanna Almeda Coz: bringing contraband into jail/penal institution Misdemeanor C...
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