The Grove Sun
Tuesday, November 12, 1996
Walker to be retried
By Janice Taylor
Staff Writer
MIAMI- The United States Attorney’s office confirmed on Friday that “Federal prosecutors will definitely pursue the remaining charges against Ottawa County Sheriff Ed Walker.”
On Wednesday of last week, Walker was acquitted on eight on the 12 charges of extortion, obstruction of justice and illegal gambling, which had been filed against him by a federal grand jury last spring.
The Federal trial jury overseeing the case that was being held in Tulsa, deadlocked on the final four counts and were excused by Federal Judge H. Dale Cook, on Wednesday evening.
Randy Edgmon, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office, commented, “I do not know if we will have to re-file the charges or if a new trial date will automatically be set.”
“It is my understanding that there are no other charges against me at this time,” Walker said. “The probation officer has said, the charges will have to be re-filed.”
The almost three week trial, brought out allegations by the defense of a frame-up against Walker, because he was in fact trying to crack down on illegal gambling in northeastern Oklahoma, not trying to encourage it.
Prosecutors retaliated with their own excuses of Walker soliciting pay-offs to offset budget problems within his department during the same time that he brought these problems to the attention of the county commissioners, but when he also took a pay cut to help out the department’s financial woes.
The defense pointed out that almost all of the vendors that had testified against Walker, had nothing to lose, but only to gain, by being a part of a plea agreement, and should be deemed untrustworthy.
They maintained throughout the trial that Walker had been framed and that the Federal Bureau of Investigations tactics should be scrutinized.
Following the trial, Walker has stated that he wants to return to work, and finalize some unfinished business that was left when these charges occurred.
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