Story on Judge Leads to a Judicial Misconduct Case
Last week we wrote about one Judge McCray who exploded in anger on the bench over what he thought was a forged signature on a pre trial release form, and it was his signature. But the judge has his own problems now as a complaint has been filed against him for releasing drug trafficking suspects on OR bonds through the pre trial release program, in violation of state law.
Worse, McCray ordered a bond reinstated after what appears to be an illegal bond filing. With the Assistant D.A. Standing right in front of him, McCray ordered a man released after being shown a California court document stating that the insurance company that underwrote the bond, one Lexington National Insurance Company agreed to reinstate the bond. The bond had already been forfeited by the bail bondsman here in Oklahoma after the criminal had refused to show up for court. Then after an arrest warrant had been issued, the defendant shows up with a lawyer and what appears to be a faked document.
The document is from the state of California and Oklahoma is listed in the county section. No California court has jurisdiction over Oklahoma cases. And worse, Oklahoma law requires that an Oklahoma citizen with a bail bond license file all bonds or re issued bonds. A California judge can't order a bond re issuance and saddling the bondsman with the risk of the criminal fleeing the state. Not only that, but the bondsman never knew that the criminal was appearing in court or they would have picked the guy up and taken him to jail so they could exonerate the bond and get their money back.
All of this went down with an assistant D.A. tell the judge "You can't do this." over and over to no avail.
