Articles by Sean Murphy

Murphy co-leads the crisis and litigation communications practice for Texas-based Courtroom Sciences Inc.

Attorneys for Last-Known Survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Appeal Dismissed Reparations Case

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Attorneys seeking reparations for three living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre filed an appeal in the case with the Oklahoma Supreme Court and said a district court judge erred in dismissing the case last …

Oklahoma Governor Signs Executive Order Narrowly Defining “Female” and “Male”

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday directed state agencies to use narrow definitions of “female” and “male,” in the latest attack on transgender rights in a state that already has laws targeting bathroom use, health care …

Court: Tulsa Can’t Give a Choctaw Man Ticket Because City is on Reservation Land

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Tulsa lacks the jurisdiction to prosecute a Native American man cited by police for speeding because the city is located within the boundaries of an Indian reservation, a federal appeals court ruled. The 10th U.S. Circuit …

Whistleblowers File Lawsuits Against Oklahoma State Superintendent, Top Aide

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Two former employees at the State Department of Education filed separate federal lawsuits Tuesday against Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters and his top aide, alleging they were wrongfully fired last week. Cheryl McGee, the agency’s former …

Oklahoma Lawmakers Agree on $1M Settlement Over Inmate’s Death

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma lawmakers on Tuesday signed off on a $1.05 million settlement with the family of a state prison inmate who died of appendicitis in 2018 despite five visits to the prison’s medical staff in the week …

More Severe Weather Forecast for Battered South, Midwest

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – While residents across parts of the South and Midwest pummeled by deadly storms and wildfires sifted through the wreckage of their homes Monday, forecasters warned of more severe weather and fire danger in the days ahead …

Oklahoma Voters Reject Legalization of Recreational Marijuana

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors. Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis …

Cannabis Vote Has Oklahoma Hungry to Rake in Green From Texas

Tens of thousands of Texans from the bustling Dallas-Fort Worth area routinely drive across the Red River to gamble in glitzy, Las Vegas- style tribal casinos or to relax at cabins or swim and ski in lakes that dot southern …

Tornado Causes Damage East of Houston

PASADENA, Texas (AP) – A powerful storm system took aim at the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, spawning a tornado that downed utility poles and power lines, overturned vehicles and ripped roofs off homes and businesses in communities east of Houston. …

Oklahoma AG Announces New Opioid Settlements Worth $226M

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma entered settlement agreements with three major pharmacy chains and an opioid manufacturer totaling more than $226 million, Attorney General John O’Connor announced Wednesday. Including the new settlements with drugmaker Allergan and pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens …