Friday, November 5th 2021, 4:54 pm
Update: After News On 6 called the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday, they said they originally thought Blizzard was a tribal citizen, so they referred it to tribal court, but, then, it was determined Blizzard is not a member of a tribe, so the U.S. Attorney's Office says they will be able to prosecute the case.**
Rogers County prosecutors say they feared a woman would go unpunished after she was charged with running over her son with her car while she was high on meth.
Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard says this is an ongoing issue, where a non-native person walks free because the case cannot be prosecuted by the tribes and isn't picked up by federal prosecutors. Ashley Blizzard was charged last year with running over her 11-year-old son and dragging him about 40-feet while having her 2-year-old in the car. Ballard says she was high on meth and had other drugs in the car.
"This child should have never gone through this," Ballard tells News on 6.
Ballard says the tribe cannot prosecute the case because Blizzard is not a tribal citizen but her son is. When his office originally called the U.S. Attorney's Office, they said they wouldn't be taking the case.
"I think people have to know that this is a problem that is not going away. This is a problem that despite everything the tribe has done that they can fix this its a problem that can't be fixed with increased funding to U.S. Attorney's office," Ballard explains.
The Rogers County District attorney's office says a jail phone call between Blizzard and her son, shows she has no remorse.
Son: "Yeah I got ran over twice."
Blizzard: "Not by me."
Son: "My shoulder and my elbow."
Blizzard: "You know I'm going to prison forever right."
Son: "Forever?"
Blizzard: "Forever."
Son: "I love you (crying)"
"The phone call- It's gut-wrenching," Ballard added.
Blizzard is still in jail as of right now. The judge ordered a stay on her release in order to wait for the U.S. supreme court's decision on the state's petition to reverse last year's ruling
November 5th, 2021
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