Lawyer Loses License for Trying to Bribe Police

OKLAHOMA CITY (CN) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court suspended the law license of a prominent criminal defense attorney who tried bribing a police officer to miss his client's court date.

David Ogle, 44, of Oklahoma City, was suspended Wednesday after the Oklahoma Bar Association submitted certified copies of the judgment and sentence. He has until Sept. 17 to contest the court's discipline, according to the order of immediate interim suspension.

Ogle pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer in the performance of his duty, according to The Oklahoman. He was originally charged with felony bribery, but the charge was reduced as part of his plea agreement.

He agreed to pay $500 in fines and $300 to a victims' compensation fund, plus ears of probation. Ogle resorted to bribery while representing a client who faced license revocation for drunken driving.

"I, in conjunction with others, paid a retired Edmond police officer to have an active officer not appear for a [Department of Public Safety] hearing," Ogle stated in his guilty plea. "I did this act knowingly and voluntarily."

Attorneys Josh Welch and Sam Kerr pleaded guilty in April to the same charge, agreeing to two years of probation, The Oklahoman reports.

Prosecutors say the trio tried to bribe Danny Austill, who then reported the payment offer to a supervisor.

A retired officer who sometimes worked for the attorneys as a private investigator reportedly acted as their go-between. "The retired officer, Christopher Caplinger, paid Austill $500 not to show up for the driver's license revocation hearing," according to The Oklahoman.

Caplinger pleaded guilty in 2009, serving three years of probation.

Ogle's most recent high-profile client is Oklahoma state Sen. Mike Morgan, who was convicted of federal charges of bribery in March. He has since asked for a new trial, alleging faulty jury instructions, according to The Associated Press.

Follow @davejourno

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit