Carroll Fisher Trial Moving To Tulsa

Tuesday, May 22nd 2007, 4:35 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The trial of former state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher, who is accused of filing a false state tax return, will be held in Tulsa instead of Oklahoma City, a judge decided Tuesday. Judge Kenneth Watson said that under state law Fisher must be tried in Tulsa because Fisher signed the tax return there.

Fisher was to face trial on the felony tax case June 11 in Oklahoma County District Court. Now the trial will likely be delayed. A Tulsa County judge will take over the case.

Fisher was convicted last year of embezzling $1,000 from his own campaign and of lying on a 2003 campaign report. He was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000.

He is on house arrest in Tulsa while he appeals.

Three other felony cases against Fisher remain in Oklahoma County.

In the tax case, prosecutors allege Fisher did not report all his 1999 income. Fisher allegedly should have paid $4,688 more in state taxes and $38,296 more in federal taxes. Fisher, a Democrat, was insurance commissioner nearly six years before resigning in September 2004.