Black Community Stands by Judge Who Stepped Down in Pharmacy Murder Trial

By Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The circumstances surrounding why Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure stepped down from the high profile Jerome Ersland murder trial continue to be under seal, but that has not stopped the talk about what led to the scandal.

Now some are speaking out and taking action on the judge's behalf, even though she has chosen to remain silent.

"We do know that the D.A. has used his power in the last three months to slander and try to intimidate the only two African American judges in the Oklahoma County courthouse," said Fairview Baptist Church Pastor J.A. Reed.

Several pastors, community leaders, and other concerned members of the Oklahoma City black community met at Fairview Baptist Church Friday to show a united show of support. They along with the Oklahoma NAACP are calling for a civil rights investigation against District Attorney David Prater.

"We need more African American judges on the bench, we need more minority judges on the bench, and we need this D.A. office investigated," said Anthony Douglas, Oklahoma NAACP State President.

They also called out many of the D.A.'s decisions on the Jerome Ersland murder case and are demanding the Ersland trial be televised.

"Judge LeSure took the courageous step of allowing cameras in the courtroom to allow the public a rare seat in a public trial," Douglas said.

Prater said he welcomes the investigation.

"It's unfortunate that those who want to talk the loudest about this case know none of the evidence," Prater said.

Prater said he finds it odd and ironic that he is being accused of racism in the Ersland case when the victim he is representing, 16-year-old Antwun Parker, is black.

"I was being accused of pandering to the black community when I filed this charge. Now I am a racist because I asked the judge to get off of it. Just doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Prater said.

It turns out, Oklahoma actually has three African American judges on the Oklahoma County bench: District Judge Tammy Bass-Lesure, District Judge Kenneth C. Watson, and Special Judge Martha Oakes, who was just appointed to the Oklahoma County bench.

As for the District Attorney's investigation into Judge LeSure, Prater had strong words for those questioning his motives.

"It's incredibly unfortunate that this judge did this and it affected this case. It's incredibly irresponsible, it immoral and its corrupt and it's her fault. Her fault, no one else's that we are in this situation right now," Prater said.

Prater would not comment on whether he has filed a judicial complaint against Judge LeSure, but he confirmed Attorney Rick Rice notified his office about possible ethics violations, and that he asked his client to wear a wire.

Rice's client, 20-year-old Colton Ama, was Judge LeSure's personal trainer at her gym and said the two had private conversations about his drug case outside of court. Prater also said she provided the names of three attorneys she would recommend. One of which was part of the Ersland's defense team, and that was the reason Prater asked her to recuse herself from the case.

More:

• Attorney: District Attorney Wants to Remove Judge from Pharmacist's Murder Trial
• Possible Ethics Violation May Be Behind Judge Recusing Herself from Trial