New Payne County DA says he inherited a 'cloud of distrust' after Jesse Butler sexual assault case
New Payne County DA Jeremiah Gregory says he inherited a "cloud of distrust" after the Jesse Butler case and is pushing for an independent investigation.
New Payne County DA Jeremiah Gregory says he inherited a "cloud of distrust" after the Jesse Butler case and is pushing for an independent investigation.
Ten days into his job, the new Payne County district attorney said he inherited what he called a "cloud of distrust."
District Attorney Jeremiah Gregory is taking aim at one of the biggest controversies facing the office, the handling of a high-profile rape case.
"There’s a reason why I got no opponent. Nobody wants this job," Gregory said.
The Payne County District Attorney's Office has faced tough questions from the community after a high-profile sexual assault case that he had no role in prosecuting. Gregory said he would have handled things differently, and he is calling for outside investigators to find out what exactly happened.
"Why did you want to become the Payne and Logan counties district attorney?" KOCO's Kilee Thomas asked.
"I felt like I had something to offer to help clear that cloud, to restore trust to the office, and that’s ultimately why I ran," Gregory said.
>> Video Below: New Payne County DA blasts Jesse Butler's defense team as case was dismissed
"The Payne County District Attorney’s Office has faced public scrutiny in recent years, most notably over the handling of the Jesse Butler case. Do you think this criticism is well-warranted?" Kilee asked.
"I am concerned over how the victims were treated. I have concerns as to whether or not in the future this could happen again in any jurisdiction. It is my goal as I have taken the reins of this office to ensure that victims' rights are always adhered to, that the victims always have a voice and that justice is served," Gregory said.
Butler, who was a Stillwater teenager at the time, was initially charged as an adult. He was later granted youthful offender status in a deal agreed to by the previous district attorney, who retired in April.
>> Video Below: Victim challenges Jesse Butler's plea deal in sexual assault case, citing violation of Oklahoma law
Butler entered a no-contest plea in the case that involved the sexual assault of two teenage girls.
Last week, his case was dismissed after he completed his rehabilitation plan, a plan that did not include jail time.
"Would you have made that deal yourself as the district attorney?" Kilee asked.
"If I had been the Payne County district attorney, that case would have gone to preliminary hearing and trial," Gregory said.
"You seem very confident about the decision. Why do you say that?" Kilee said.
"Because the victims wanted to go in that direction and victims' rights matter. If a victim does not want a plea deal, at the end of the day, it is my job to take that case before a jury, and that is a job I do not shirk from," Gregory said.
>> Video Below: 'Made my blood boil ': DA blasts defense’s courtroom statements after Jesse Butler case is dismissed
But with Butler's criminal case now closed, Gregory said he wants an independent investigation into what happened inside the District Attorney's Office leading up to the deal.
Gregory is calling on Oklahoma's next attorney general to bring in prosecutors and investigators from another state to present their findings to a multi-county grand jury and release the findings to the public.
"The community needs to have closure. The community needs to know what has happened," Gregory said. "I think that’s going to be the only way that we can heal and prevent whatever happened from happening again is through that third-party investigation."