AG Drew Edmondson receives leadership award

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has received the 2004 Paul H. Chapman Award from the Foundation for Improvement of Justice. <br/><br/>Edmondson was honored for his leadership

Tuesday, September 28th 2004, 6:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has received the 2004 Paul H. Chapman Award from the Foundation for Improvement of Justice.

Edmondson was honored for his leadership in passing a 1995 state law that expedited the appeals process in capital cases.

The law combined the first and second stages of the capital appeals process and allowed both the direct appeal and post conviction appeal to proceed through the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Edmondson also worked to speed up the federal habeas corpus process through legislation that limited repetitive appeals.

He was nominated for the award by Mike Turpen, former Oklahoma attorney general who received the award in 1986 for his work in passing the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights.