Bubbaworld

It is undoubtedly a harsh transformation from the black judicial robes and authority of a district judge to the orange jumpsuit and plastic sandals of a convicted felon.

Former Creek County District Judge Donald D. Thompson made just such a transformation following his conviction on four felony counts of indecent exposure on allegations that he used a penis pump, shaved his scrotum and masturbated while on the bench during trials in Creek County, Oklahoma in 2002 and 2003.

On Thursday, June 29, 2006 jurors found Thompson guilty of these criminal acts, acts which took place during both murder trials and a civil case. In the most shocking instance jurors found that Thompson had used a penis pump during the tear-filled testimony of a man whose grandchild had been murdered.

In finding Thompson guilty of the four indecent exposure counts, the jury recommended a sentence of one year in prison and $10,000 fine on each count. Formal sentencing for Thompson is set for August 14.

Between his conviction and sentencing the Oklahoma Department of Corrections will conduct a pre-sentence investigation. The results of this investigation will be presented at the sentencing hearing and will be one of the issues that Judge C. Allen McCall will consider in sentencing Thompson. The indecent exposure charges carry with them a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 10 years imprisonment with a fine of up to $20,000 per-count.

Following the jury’s verdict, Judge McCall ordered Thompson held overnight in the county jail, set pre-sentencing bail at $75,000 and ordered that once Thompson makes bail he is to surrender his passport, refrain from contacting any witnesses in the case and remain in Creek County except to visit his lawyers in Tulsa.

Before Thompson was escorted back to Sapulpa and the county jail he was permitted about ten minutes with his family and friends. Thompson was not handcuffed as he was escorted out of the courtroom to a waiting patrol car for the trip to the jail.

Upon arrival at the jail Thompson was processed as would be any convicted prisoner. He was finger printed, had his mugshot taken, was issued an orange jumpsuit and plastic sandals. For his own safety Thompson was lodged in a cell by himself. He remained jailed until Friday afternoon when he was released on $75,000 bail at approximately 2:30 pm.

Commentary and Opinion

Over the course of his twenty plus years on the bench Judge Thompson sentenced countless men and women to jail or prison on a variety of offenses. Odds are that the majority of those convicted and sentenced in Thompson’s court would claim they were innocent, that they were victims of police misconduct and could not have done the crimes of which they were accused.

Thompson himself is now confronted with being a convicted felon and a sex offender. Like many convicted criminals, Thompson still denies he did anything wrong, claiming that he is the victim of a vendetta on the part of the Sapulpa, OK Police Department.

In spite of the over-whelming evidence which resulted in his conviction, Thompson refuses to admit his crimes or take responsibility for his actions. In this regard Thompson is no different than the convicted felons that appeared before him over the course of his judicial career and claimed they were also innocent, inspite of the evidence against them.

If Thompson has learned anything over the course of his long judicial career it should have been how unbecoming such whining appears to the average law abiding citizen. And how ineffectual it is for the guility to claim ‘I wuz framed!, after a parade of independent witnesses document in detail the multiple crimes of the accused.

Owing to the actions of former Creek County District Judge Donald D. Thompson, participants in trials throughout Oklahoma are going to be keeping a close eye on every move judges make. And for good reason. Especially when their hands are out of sight underneath their benches.