By Trevon Sanchez, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — A judge’s decision last Friday to deny Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler’s attempt to quash a citizens’ grand jury petition has kept the effort alive, but both sides say the legal fight is far from over as a key signature deadline nears.
Petitioners have until Nov. 19 to collect the required 5,000 signatures. Even if they meet that threshold, Kunzweiler’s attorneys say the petition could still face additional legal challenges during the signature review process.
Shar Agosto, an attorney for Grand Jury Justice, said the group is continuing its signature drive and expects some signatures will be rejected.
“We are excited about what happens next. We’re still collecting signatures,” Agosto said. “We know that some of the signatures will be thrown out, and we anticipate that.”
Agosto also said she expects continued challenges to the signature collection process.
“I say that because in the Sheriff Glanz grand jury, that’s what they did. But also, we’ve trained our volunteers very well and Tulsa County knows, what they’re signing when they sign it,” she said.
Joel Wohlgemuth, representing Kunzweiler, said in a written response that there are still questions about who is behind the petition and whether the group represents Tulsa County residents. He also said the judge’s ruling left open the possibility of more legal challenges once signatures are reviewed.
In his statement, Wohlgemuth wrote: “The only presence of the identified organization is a post office box in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. That information suggests to the citizens of Tulsa County that the organization asking for their support is local to the community. We now know that fact is simply ‘not true.”
Wohlgemuth also wrote: “It is telling that the ‘Grand Jury Justice’ had Tulsa County residents verify the facts in the petition under penalty of perjury, while simultaneously concealing from the Tulsa County electorate that the officers and main actors of this organization do not live in Tulsa County at all.”
Agosto disputed those claims.
“That’s not true at all. Our all of our verification signatures are all Tulsa County residents, Tulsa County voters. We didn’t say only Tulsa County electors brought this petition. But Tulsa County electors did sign on to verify the petition and be a part of grand jury justice,” she said.
Wohlgemuth said those issues could be raised again if petitioners collect enough valid signatures.
