Jury Selected In Bribery Case Of Former Oklahoma Lawmaker

The bribery trial of a former Oklahoma lawmaker begins this week, and jury selection is underway.

Monday, October 21st 2013, 6:25 pm

By: News 9


The bribery trial of a former Oklahoma lawmaker begins this week. A jury of seven men and seven women were selected to hear the case against former state Representative Randy Terrill.

Former State Representative Randy Terrill is accused of offering a fellow lawmaker on the other side of the isle a bribe.

12/22/2010 Related Story: Rep. Randy Terrill, Former Sen. Debbe Leftwich Charged With Bribery

Now, it will be up to jury to determine if any crime was committed. It has taken more than three years for this case to finally go to trial.

A 20-page court document lays out the state's case against Terrill. But it will ultimately be that jury of 12 that will determine if Terrill is guilty or not guilty of two counts of bribery.

On Monday, we ran into one fellow lawmaker who says Terrill did nothing wrong.

"Randy Terrill is my friend, and I don't find that he has done anything wrong," said Representative Mike Reynolds, (R) Oklahoma City. "And I'm just down here for a little moral support."

Representative Reynolds made sure to show up for the first day of jury selection in Randy Terrill's trial. He said the state's claims that Terrill found a way to create a job at the Medical examiner's office for a fellow lawmaker are ludicrous.

"He couldn't possibly extend a job offer for that office," Reynolds said.

But the prosecution alleges Terrill did just that.

Court papers state that Terrill, a republican Representative at the time, tried to get a job created at the Medical Examiner's office for then Senator Debbie Leftwich who is a Democrat.

Those Court papers state the intent was for Leftwich to resign and vacate her Senate seat, so fellow Republican Mike Christian could run for it.

In return, it alleges Terrill created language in a bill that would create an $80,000 transition coordinator job for Leftwich, and even pressured higher ups at the ME's office to hire her.

That was what got the Attorney general's office involved, and ultimately landed both Leftwich and Terrill in court, fighting to clear their names.

Terrill appeared in good spirits while in the courtroom. And Reynolds, for one, is standing behind him.

"Sometimes it takes a long time to clear your name, which is a shame," Reynolds said.

Debbie Leftwich is also facing two counts of bribery, but her trial is slated for December.

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