Full Breakdown
Oklahoma Judge Vacates Grand Jury Petition to Investigate Payne County District Attorney
7/1/2026, 4:44:26 AM
Grand Jury Petition Approved Then Vacated
Earlier this year, a local judge ruled that a citizen-led petition to convene a grand jury investigating the Payne County District Attorney’s Office had met the signature threshold. Days later, the same judge reversed the decision, declaring the petition insufficient after the Attorney General’s Office cited a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Legal Background: Signature Requirement Formula
Oklahoma law permits grand jury petitions when a specified proportion of voters signs the request. The Attorney General’s Office said the metric is 16 % of the votes cast in Payne County during the recent gubernatorial election, instead of a ratio of signatures to registered voters. A 2024 Supreme Court decision affirmed this percentage-based standard.
Key Figures and Groups
The primary petitioners are organized under Parents for Payne County, a group of local parents. Kari Moore serves as a spokesperson for the organization. The judge who issued both the approval and reversal is unnamed. The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, representing the state’s chief legal authority, provided interpretive guidance on the signature formula.
Data & Statistics
The petition originally claimed to have gathered enough signatures under a ratio calculation. Applying the 16 % rule translates to a required number of signatures that the judge said left the petition about 1,000 short, based on votes cast in the last governor’s race. The petition fell short by approximately 1,000 signatures, according to the judge’s recalculation.
Official Statements & Responses
The judge announced that the proper formula is 16 % of the votes cast, rendering the petition invalid. The Attorney General’s Office referenced the 2024 Supreme Court decision as the legal basis. Parents for Payne County issued a statement indicating they will file new paperwork to meet the correct threshold.
Criticism & Opposition
Parents for Payne County contend that the Constitution employs a ratio-based formula, which they argue ensures equal grand-jury access for smaller rural counties. They claim the percentage approach disadvantages rural jurisdictions and undermines the intent of the constitutional provision.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We're not really sure what happened. Shock is the initial reaction. We felt very blindsided,” — Kari Moore, Parents for Payne County
- “To have our attorney general come in and say, 'We're not looking at a ratio. We're looking at a percentum,' is confusing.” — Kari Moore, Parents for Payne County
- “That ratio is important because it gives access to rural counties in Oklahoma the same access to the grand jury process as large counties,” — Kari Moore, Parents for Payne County
- “We're not intimidated. We're not going anywhere. We know that our petition is valid,” — Kari Moore, Parents for Payne County
What’s Next
The group says it is preparing additional filings to satisfy the 16 % requirement and has reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for clarification. No further response from the Attorney General has been reported.
