A judge's recusal in a high-profile Oklahoma death penalty case was finalized yesterday, with the judge announcing her decision just days before the scheduled execution of one of the defendants, Tremane Wood.
Wood is due to be executed by lethal injection on November 13 for murder. His lawyers claimed that the judge presiding over his case, Susan Stallings, should recuse herself from the trial because of her close relationship with the original prosecutor, Fern Smith, who was in charge of Wood's case when it was first tried.
In October, during an evidentiary hearing, Stallings denied any personal connection to Smith but admitted that she had attended a group trip to Spain with her in 1997. However, Stallings' lawyers claimed this was just one instance of their relationship, and they produced records showing the judge had traveled with Smith on another occasion, in 2016.
Stallings maintained that she didn't have to disclose more information about her relationship with Smith because she had already done so once. The judge's recusal came after the defense team presented evidence of Stallings' close association with Smith and other prosecutors who handled Glossip's case, which could raise concerns about bias in the trial.
In an unexpected twist, a document revealed that Judge Stallings emailed Fern Smith to congratulate her on the outcome of the Tremane Wood case. Wood’s lawyers argued this was an attempt by Stallings to conceal their relationship.
As a result of Stallings' recusal, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 in favor of recommending clemency for Wood. The board's decision means that Governor Kevin Stitt now has the power to commute Wood’s sentence to life without parole.
In contrast, Glossip remains on death row after a US Supreme Court order overturned his first conviction in 2015 due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel.
A new judge has been assigned to Glossip's case, but her qualifications are still under scrutiny due to Smith’s involvement in the prosecution.
The Oklahoma Governor had agreed to accept the board’s recommendation for clemency, which was seen as a response to the revelations about Stallings' close association with former prosecutor Fern Smith and its potential impact on Wood's trial.
Wood is due to be executed by lethal injection on November 13 for murder. His lawyers claimed that the judge presiding over his case, Susan Stallings, should recuse herself from the trial because of her close relationship with the original prosecutor, Fern Smith, who was in charge of Wood's case when it was first tried.
In October, during an evidentiary hearing, Stallings denied any personal connection to Smith but admitted that she had attended a group trip to Spain with her in 1997. However, Stallings' lawyers claimed this was just one instance of their relationship, and they produced records showing the judge had traveled with Smith on another occasion, in 2016.
Stallings maintained that she didn't have to disclose more information about her relationship with Smith because she had already done so once. The judge's recusal came after the defense team presented evidence of Stallings' close association with Smith and other prosecutors who handled Glossip's case, which could raise concerns about bias in the trial.
In an unexpected twist, a document revealed that Judge Stallings emailed Fern Smith to congratulate her on the outcome of the Tremane Wood case. Wood’s lawyers argued this was an attempt by Stallings to conceal their relationship.
As a result of Stallings' recusal, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 in favor of recommending clemency for Wood. The board's decision means that Governor Kevin Stitt now has the power to commute Wood’s sentence to life without parole.
In contrast, Glossip remains on death row after a US Supreme Court order overturned his first conviction in 2015 due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel.
A new judge has been assigned to Glossip's case, but her qualifications are still under scrutiny due to Smith’s involvement in the prosecution.
The Oklahoma Governor had agreed to accept the board’s recommendation for clemency, which was seen as a response to the revelations about Stallings' close association with former prosecutor Fern Smith and its potential impact on Wood's trial.
. I MEAN, WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD TWIST IN A STORY?! SO THE JUDGE HAD THIS CLOSE FRIENDSHIP WITH THE ORIGINAL PROSECUTOR AND IT'S MAKING PEOPLE QUESTION IF SHE WAS FAIR TO TREMANE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S EVEN CRAZIER? THE EMAIL WHERE SHE CONGRATULATES HER ON THE OUTCOME OF THE CASE!!! IT JUST SHOWS HOW CLOSE THEY WERE, RIGHT?! ANYWAY, I HOPE TREMANE GETS A FAIR SHOT AT FREEDOM NOW 
. AND WHAT ABOUT GLOSSIP'S CASE? IT'S STILL BEING WORKED ON BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE NEW JUDGE IS GOING TO HAVE TO PROVE HERSELF 
.
. I mean, imagine if that judge had been presiding over Tremane Wood's case without recusing herself... it would've been a total disaster! Thankfully, her connection to Fern Smith has led to some positive changes for Wood, who might just avoid a tragic end on November 13th 
.
.
.
. The fact that she emailed Smith to congratulate her on the outcome of Wood's case just makes it look even worse 
. It's not surprising that the defense team wanted Stallings to recuse herself from the case then 
. And I guess it's good that the Pardon and Parole Board voted in favor of recommending clemency for Wood - maybe his life will be spared after all 
. The whole thing just feels like a big mess, and I'm not sure what's going to happen next 
. First, you've got a judge who's buddies with one of the prosecutors on her case, and now she's being sued for it? What's next? The governor just rubber-stamps everything to save a defendant, even if it means another person gets sent to death row 
. And don't even get me started on the fact that this judge thought she could just brush off all the connections between her and Smith... like that one email where she congratulates her on winning the case? Give me a break 
.
And now that she's recused herself, it's like the whole thing is being turned on its head...but at least Tremane Wood might get a second chance 
.
. Now it's up to Governor Stitt to decide his fate, but fingers crossed he'll do the right thing 
. But here's da thing, Stallings claimed she didn't need 2 disclose more info 'cause she already did 
which was like a major red flag 4 her lawyers! But guess what? The OK Pardon & Parole Board voted 3-2 in favor of recommending clemency 4 Wood 
. Now it's up 2 Governor Kevin Stitt 2 decide whether or not 2 commute Wood's sentence.
. I'm glad the board voted in favor of clemency for Wood, it's about time he got some justice 
. Now let's hope the governor actually commutes his sentence 
. It's all good that Glossip's case has been reassigned to a new judge, but you can never be too careful when it comes to potential biases 
! like, who wouldn't wanna recuse themselves from a case when they have a BFF with the person in charge of the prosecution tho? 
and then there's this email that dropped and it's like WOW 
Stallings' recusal is actually kinda refreshing, now we might get some actual justice for Tremane Wood 
. But glossip's case is still super messed up - how can you have a new judge assigned when there's already a history of prosecutorial misconduct going on? 
I can feel the weight of injustice bearing down on Tremane Wood. It's like, one minute he's facing execution, the next his fate is being decided by a judge who has a personal connection to the prosecutor from his case... that's just not right 
. And to make matters worse, another judge is now handling Glossip's case, raising more questions about bias and fairness 
. I hope Governor Stitt does the right thing and commutes Wood's sentence to life without parole