OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma court is set to decide an appeal from an ex-Oklahoma City police officer convicted of rape and other sexual assaults in a case that became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement and a mobilizing cause for some conservatives.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals says it will issue an opinion Thursday in the appeal from 32-year-old Daniel Holtzclaw. He is serving 263 years in prison on 18 convictions. Prosecutors accused Holtzclaw of preying on black women he encountered on duty.
An AP investigation highlighting Holtzclaw’s case found about 1,000 officers in the U.S. lost their licenses for sexual misconduct over a six-year period.
Holtzclaw has maintained his innocence and is challenging evidence used against him, plus a “circus atmosphere” during his 2015 trial.
The Associated Press
