Daniel Holtzclaw (center) listens as Oklahoma County assistant district attorney Gayland Gieger (right) speaks during Holtzclaw’s sentencing hearing in Oklahoma City, Thursday. “Daniel Holtzclaw has made the Oklahoma City Police Department look bad”, she said.
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Caption + Daniel Holtzclaw, left, is escorted out of his sentencing in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
The 17-year-old victim testified that Holtzclaw pulled up next to her as she walked home, then told her he had to search her before raping her on the porch. And the judge today agreed, saying Holtzclaw will serve those years consecutively. “And I’m a drug addict, so the only way I knew to handle it was to go and get high to try to block it out, to make it seem like it didn’t happen”.
Holtzclaw’s victims included a teenager and woman in her 50s.
“The stress of the case and fear of being sexually assaulted again has caused an increase in my blood pressure”, Jannie Ligons said.
“I’ve changed how I lived for nearly two years, so I definitely want my life back – a life I had before he took it away from me”, she said.
Hotlzclaw’s case led to a yearlong Associated Press investigation into sexual misconduct and sexual crimes by police.
Last month, a jury found Holtzclaw, 29, guilty on 18 of the 36 rape and sexual assault charges against him and recommended a total of 263 years in prison. He was acquitted on 18 other counts.
“It is what it is”, said Holtzclaw’s attorney, Scott Adams. “This is a rapist who masqueraded as a law enforcement officer”.
(Judge) “The defendant is guilty of the crime of sexual battery”.
Those figures, too, are likely an undercount, because not every state has a process to ban problem officers from law enforcement. The former officer was characterized in court records as “Asian or Pacific Islander”, the Oklahoman reported.
Race was a prominent issue from the time the case against Holtzclaw was announced.
Prosecutors said that Holtzclaw preyed on black women in poor areas of Oklahoma City.
The sentencing was recessed twice to give the judge a moment to review the newly filed motion. All 13 of the former officer’s victims were black women.
“This is a victory not only in the courtroom but a victory for rape for all women all over the world”, said Attorney Benjamin Crump.
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Holtzclaw’s attorney tried to paint his client as a model citizen and former college football star.
