Oklahoma County court compels woman's testimony

Wednesday, December 8th 2004, 6:20 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ After being found in contempt of court and ordered to jail, a woman agreed to testify before a multicounty grand jury investigating allegations of sexual improprieties by a former judge.

Donald D. Thompson is the focus of a grand jury probe into allegations that while he was on the bench in Creek County District Court, he used a sexual device and exposed himself. Thompson has retired with benefits estimated at $88,800 a year.

A special prosecutor wanted Angela McClanahan to testify in the case Monday, The Oklahoman reported.

McClanahan initially refused to testify before the grand jury Monday, the newspaper reported. A judge cited her for contempt and ordered her jailed.

However, she changed her mind while en route to the Oklahoma County jail, said Capt. Kelly Marshall, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma County sheriff's office.

Marshall said McClanahan wasn't jailed but was held for four hours while court officials worked to get her back in front of the judge.

McClanahan was in tears as she returned before grand jury Judge Robert Simms about 4 p.m. She agreed to testify at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

McClanahan used a back entrance to enter and leave the room in the Oklahoma County building where the multicounty grand jury meets, and she left without speaking to the media.

The state court administrator's office searched the hard drive of Thompson's old computer and found photos of a man's genitalia and explicit e-mails exchanged between Thompson and McClanahan.