Oklahoma judge accused in 2 drive-by shootings now accused of corruption, sexual misconduct with staff at courthouse



An Oklahoma judge already facing criminal prosecution in connection with two shootings has now been accused of sexual and professional misconduct on the job.

If the allegations against him are any indication, Brian Lovell, a 59-year-old associate judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma, is one unsavory character.

Lovell has also been accused of favoring certain attorneys and issuing rulings, including bond assessments, accordingly; illicitly collaborating with attorneys through 'ex parte communications'; and even attempting to persuade an attorney to commit perjury.

In the past five months, Lovell has been indicted in connection with two separate shootings that occurred in 2023: one at his brother-in-law's ranch and one at a busy intersection in Austin, Texas, as Blaze News previously reported. Thankfully, no one was injured in either incident.

He also faces a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in connection with the incident in Austin.

Now, a petition from the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints has accused Lovell of various forms of misconduct related to his work on the bench, resulting in a temporary judicial suspension. The allegations in the petition include gross neglect of duty, corruption in office, and gross partiality in office.

According to the petition, Lovell has had a sexual relationship with two different female bailiffs over the span of 12 years. In 2011, he allegedly had an eight-month relationship with one bailiff. She later disclosed the relationship and resigned, though district judges voted to allow Lovell to stay on the bench.

Then in 2023, Lovell allegedly began a relationship with the female bailiff who replaced Lovell's former lover. This time, he and his new lover exchanged "sexually graphic messages and images" and even engaged in "sexual intercourse ... inside the courthouse during courthouse hours," the petition said.

Lovell denied any sexual relationship but did admit they had engaged in "flirtatious texting," according to the petition. However, the woman testified to the sexual nature of their relationship, the Daily Caller reported, and their text messages allegedly corroborate her story.

In addition to the accusations of sexual misconduct, Lovell has also been accused of favoring certain attorneys and issuing rulings, including bond assessments, accordingly; illicitly collaborating with attorneys through "ex parte communications"; and even attempting to persuade an attorney to commit perjury during a hearing for the Council on Judicial Complaints.

Stephen Jones, who is representing Lovell in connection with the judicial council's accusations as well as at least one of the criminal cases against him, indicated that the system is out to get his client.

Jones likened the allegations to an "ambush" and a "blind sided attack ... designed to humiliate and embarrass Judge Lovell and his family," Jones continued.

"The actions of the Council on Judicial Complaints should be a warning to every judge in this State that their tenure and professionalism can be attacked by unfair procedures and investigation techniques," Jones added.

"The Council on Judicial Complaints likes to compare itself to a grand jury. The comparison fails. In its actions, the Council’s conduct resembles the star chambers of British history."

The council's petition was filed June 27, and Lovell has 20 days after that to respond. He also has until July 8 to respond in writing to his temporary suspension. A motion hearing at the Oklahoma Supreme Court is scheduled for July 30, with other pretrial hearings to follow.

Lovell was scheduled to have at least one hearing last month about the shooting in Austin, but whether that hearing occurred as scheduled is unclear. He faces a hearing about the shooting at his brother-in-law's ranch in August.

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Black leaders cry racism after former Chattanooga police chief indicted for forgery, perjury



A woman with decades of police experience has now found herself on the wrong side of the law after she was slapped with more than 10 felony counts related to lying on official documents.

In 2022, Celeste Murphy was named the first black female police chief of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She had an impressive resume, having risen through the ranks to become deputy chief of the Atlanta Police Department before she made the move to Tennessee.

Or did she?

In April, District Attorney Pro Tem David Michael Dunavant asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into Murphy and her state of residence. Reports indicate that she entered various Chattanooga addresses on her Tennessee driver's license application, voter registration form, and a residency affidavit from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

However, at least one person living near one of those residences claimed never to have seen her. Another residence reportedly belonged to the family of a police sergeant who denied that Murphy ever lived there. And thus far, Murphy has not voted in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Murphy did allegedly claim a property tax exemption for a home she bought in Fulton County, Georgia, several years ago, though, which raised red flags. Back in March, she said that she would work to resolve the state residency discrepancies, but records show she is still apparently receiving the Georgia tax break.

Her contract with Chattanooga required her to reside in Tennessee. Plus, lying on many official documents is considered perjury.

"During the investigation, agents determined Murphy knowingly entered false information on several government documents related to establishing residency in Chattanooga, though swearing to their truth in signing the documents," said a TBI press release.

'Last year in the city of Chattanooga, 77 percent of homicides claimed the lives of black men, women and children of all of those that were cleared. Every single one was a black perpetrator. I don't recall a press conference speaking out against those killers.'

On Wednesday, 56-year-old Murphy resigned her position as police chief in Chattanooga effective immediately. "While the circumstances surrounding the situation have been challenging, I respect her desire to preserve the integrity of the Chattanooga Police Department," Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said.

The following day, Murphy surrendered to the Hamilton County jail on 14 total counts, 11 felonies, and three misdemeanors. The charges against her include illegal voter registration, false entries on official registration or election documents, false entries in governmental records, forgery, perjury, and official misconduct.

She quickly bonded out of custody after posting $19,000 bond. She has another hearing scheduled for July 12.

Murphy will receive a 90-day severance package from the city, totaling more than $44,000. She also enjoys the support of many local black pastors, many of whom believe she is the victim of racism and sexism.

"This attempt to discredit an African-American woman in leadership reeks of petty partisan politics with dangerous outcomes if applied uniformly," Dr. Ernest Reed, pastor of Second Missionary Baptist Church, said at a press conference on Monday morning about Murphy's indictment.

"She has challenged the status quo, advocating for a fair and impartial environment. Her commitment to high standards, independent thinking and community engagement has made a tangible positive difference. We are not addressing individuals, but a pervasive spirit of resistance to change and justice," he continued.

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp, who recused herself from the Murphy case, slammed the black leaders who had gathered just outside her office for their press conference, implying they were little more than race hustlers who care more about the political expediency of Murphy's case than "than they do about black lives."

"Last year in the city of Chattanooga, 77 percent of homicides claimed the lives of black men, women, and children. Of all of those that were cleared, every single one was a black perpetrator," she said to the black leaders. "I don't recall a press conference speaking out against those killers. I don't recall a press conference where you stand up and are the voice of victims.

"Maybe I wasn't invited to that one."

"I do not recall a press release or a press conference in which you call for a ceasefire in your own community," Wamp continued. "I don't recall you saying prayers outside of this courthouse as you are losing dozens of members of your community every single year."

"This is not about race," Wamp added. She declined to comment on Murphy's case.

At least one major police organization, the Fraternal Order of Police, does not seem to be supporting Murphy's cause. "It is a disappointing day for law enforcement when an Officer or Chief is indicted for acting outside the law and tarnishes the badge we all proudly wear," the group said in a statement.

"We will support our interim Chief and will offer our support to the Mayor’s Office in the search for Chattanooga’s next police chief."

Harry Sommers, executive police chief of Chattanooga Police Department, has been named interim police chief while a search begins for a permanent replacement.

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Republicans Demand DOJ Charge Hunter And James Biden For Lying About Joe’s Role In Influence-Peddling Scheme

The Republicans said their inquiry is far from over as they explore new ways to ‘hold the Bidens accountable for profiting off public office.’

‘Suborning Perjury’: Fox Legal Analyst Suggests Alvin Bragg May Have Put Michael Cohen On Stand To Lie To Jurors

'They wanted him to lie'

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'It was really amazing to hear that answer'

It’s Time For Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp And His AG To Indict Fani Willis For Perjury

How can Fani Willis credibly prosecute Trump when there are reasonable questions about whether she lied in a Georgia court three weeks ago?

Cellphone Records Suggest Fani Willis, Nathan Wade Lied About When Their Relationship Began

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-15-at-7.22.55 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-15-at-7.22.55%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Donald Trump's attorneys submitted a legal filing on Friday containing cellphone data suggesting Fani Willis lied under oath.

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She prosecuted six police officers over the death of Freddie Gray

Pelosi’s head of security likely PERJURED himself with THIS bold Jan. 6 LIE



Steve Baker is one of only five journalists with access to the full 41,000 hours of January 6 tapes.

“He has been working on the January 6th puzzle for a while now, and his efforts have been frustrated over and over again by the politics in Washington when he is just trying to find the truth,” says Glenn Beck.

Today, Steve joins Glenn again to discuss a new piece of the puzzle: whether Pelosi’s head of security perjured himself in the Oath Keepers trial.

On October 3rd, 2022, “Jeffrey Nestler, assistant U.S. attorney, approached the lectern ... and said to Judge Amit Mehta, ... 'We have a rogue attorney that is about to release some FBI 302s,” which are confidential interviews kept under strict lock and key.

“Judge Amit Mehta did something that I have never seen before,” Steve tells Glenn. “He actually directed the media pool to put out a tweet and threaten this particular attorney and let him know that if he released those sealed documents, he would have him held in contempt of court.”

“And right then, I went, ‘What are in those documents?’” says Steve.

While the documents are still sealed, we do know that “the documents themselves were the actual FBI interviews of one of these Capitol Police officers, and the primary problem that the government has with those documents is that the testimony was changed.”

In the first testimony, the officer reported that his interaction with the Oath Keepers was positive.

He claimed that “the Oath Keepers lined up between him and the more agitated protesters and assisted him in keeping them off of him and helping him de-escalate,” Steve explains.

However, in a second interview that occurred only three months later, his “testimony was changed into an aggravated, contentious event with the Oath Keepers, as well as the creation of a second event to explain the first FBI interview that never happened,” continues Steve.

Because Steve has access to the tapes, he was able to pinpoint the exact moment when this alleged contentious encounter with the Oath Keepers occurred.

“Tell me about ... what the story was in the testimony and then what you found on the tape,” says Glenn.

To hear Steve’s shocking report, watch the clip below.


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How a rope and free STD test exposed a South Dakota woman's fake rape accusation as an extramarital tryst in Florida



A rope helped police in Florida determine that a South Dakota woman made up a fake rape accusation. South Dakota police arrested the suspect after their counterparts in Florida determined that the married woman used the fake rape allegation to try to get a free STD test.

On March 8, Renee Dawn Skoglund reported to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office that she had just been raped.

"I was just raped, like 45 minutes ago," a sobbing Skoglund reportedly told police.

The 30-year-old woman visiting Florida from South Dakota told police that she experienced car issues and pulled over to the shoulder of Interstate 75 in Ruskin near Tampa.

Skoglund told authorities that a man attacked her, blindfolded her with a towel over her head, and then tied her up. She said the attacker shoved her into her rental car and raped her.

She told police that she couldn't identify the sexual abuser because she couldn't see anything during the rape.

Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office learned that Skoglund was returning to her home in Sioux Falls on the same day of the reported rape.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "After a thorough search of the area for a suspect, detectives discovered the same rope was available for purchase at Walmart, which led detectives to numerous Walmart locations for further suspect information."

"Detectives identified Mrs. Skoglund on video just eight hours before the reported attack purchasing the rope," the police said.

Investigators then recovered video from several places that Skoglund visited during the time of the alleged attack. Police determined that Skoglund had made up the fake rape claim.

Two days after she reported the rape, Skoglund reported the rape to the Sioux Falls Police Department and wanted to get a free STD test. However, police in Florida informed authorities in South Dakota about the fake rape accusation.

When confronted by cops in Sioux Falls about the rape hoax, Skoglund allegedly "attempted to change her statements before eventually admitting to fabricating the entire incident."

Skoglund was taken into custody by Sioux Falls Police Department officers on March 10. She was charged with falsifying a sexual assault claim.

"She had consensual sexual intercourse with an individual in Hillsborough County," prosecutor Jessica Couvertier said in court, according to WTVT. "Then she felt guilty about it because of her marital status, and she wanted to get checked out for a sexually transmitted disease."

Judge Laura Ward told Skoglund in court, "I have never sentenced somebody for perjury, but it’s a good reminder to everyone that perjury is a crime and all the stuff you made up and the resources expended on it, could’ve been used and probably needed to be used, by other cases that were real."

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said, "This case is truly disheartening. There are far too many victims faced with this type of trauma. This woman took advantage of our 911 emergency line and diverted attention from actual victims who need the viable resources available in these investigative scenarios."

Last week, Skoglund pleaded guilty to falsifying a sexual assault claim. She was sentenced to two years of community control – a form of house arrest – and eight years of probation.

Skoglund must also pay $17,245.26 in restitution to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation stemming from the fake rape allegation.

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