Former Oklahoma City Officer Daniel Holtzclaw Sentenced to 263 Years in Prison

“I’ve tried to self-medicate”, she said. “I feel like I’m dying on the inside”.

Holtzclaw was arrested outside his gym in August 2014.

That’s when Holtzclaw ordered her to perform oral sex, she said. Several African-American leaders in Oklahoma City attended the trial and were present for Thursday’s sentencing. That’s the maximum sentence, and the one which had been recommended by a jury last month.

But before the ruling, the judge had to hear a motion by Holtzclaw’s team asking for a new trial.

According to News 9’s reporter Adrianna Iwasinski, Holtzclaw showed no emotion as his sentence was read.

A bailiff cleared the courtroom shortly after noon for a lunch break with proceedings set to resume at 1:30 p.m.

The sentencing was recessed twice to give the judge a moment to review the newly filed motion.

Holtzclaw faces up to 263 years in prison after his convictions on 18 counts, including rape.

The defense argued that they’d discovered those “misrepresentations” due to a Facebook post by Oklahoma City Police Department detective Jake McClain.

Arwin, who will return to Oklahoma City for Holtzclaw’s sentencing, also chastised the national media for failing to cover the case, stating that the “silence sent a message to black women”, according to NBC News.

One of the final people to testify was a girl who said she was 17 at the time of the sexual assault and Holtzclaw raped her on her mother’s front porch. A third, who is a grandmother, said she was forced to do things after Holtzclaw pulled her over, and she later had a stroke. Ligons has previously agreed to be identified as one of the victims.

Holtzclaw, who did not testify at his trial, was sacked over the accusations in January 2015 after approximately three years on the job.

“I was violated by this man….”

But prosecutors and victims believe justice was served.

Those figures are likely an undercount, because not every state has a process to ban problem officers from law enforcement.

Holtzclaw’s case drew attention among civil rights activists.

Because the victims are black, race has been regularly invoked in the case.

On court records, Holtzclaw is listed as “Asian or Pacific Islander”. “We will lock you up”, Prater said.

“…Who are they going to believe?” said C.J.

Throughout his trial, women told the jury stories of searches or background checks during encounters with Holtzclaw.