Oklahoma judge accused of shooting at his brother-in-law's home

An Oklahoma justice is awaiting proceedings successful Texas for allegedly shooting astatine parked vehicles and past rear-ending a pistillate successful traffic

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma justice awaiting proceedings for allegedly shooting astatine parked vehicles and rear-ending a pistillate successful Texas present faces charges successful his ain state, accusing him of shooting into the location of his brother-in-law six months earlier the road-rage incident.

Garfield County Associate District Judge Brian Lovell, 59, was indicted by a expansive assemblage connected Thursday connected 2 felony counts involving a drive-by shooting into a home, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced. Convictions would beryllium penalized by nary little than 2 years successful prison, according to the indictment.

The judge's lawyer said Lovell volition plead not blameworthy and “vigorously” support himself against the latest charges. “From our ain probe the grounds is insufficient to person a assemblage beyond a tenable doubt, which is the standard, that helium has committed immoderate offense,” defence lawyer Stephen Jones said successful a statement.

Lovell’s brother-in-law Kenneth Markes reported idiosyncratic fired astatine slightest 5 times astatine his occupied location successful Bison connected Feb. 12, 2023, damaging a window, a partition and an oven but missing the radical inside, according to a Garfield County sheriff’s report.

A slug and 5 .40-caliber ammunition casings were recovered. Two days later, connected Feb. 14, Lovell reported a .40-caliber pistol had been stolen from his pickup betwixt Jan. 28 and Feb. 11, according to the sheriff’s report.

Lovell has not been proceeding cases since September, erstwhile helium was arrested successful Austin for allegedly driving into the rear of a woman's vehicle, astir 90 minutes aft officers responded to reports of a antheral firing astatine parked vehicles arsenic helium drove down a thoroughfare successful the area.

Lovell and his SUV matched the statement of the shooter, according to a constabulary affidavit that supported his indictment connected charges of deadly behaviour with a firearm and reckless driving. He faces a June proceeding connected the Texas charges.

Lovell told Austin constabulary that the pistillate had chopped him disconnected successful traffic, but did not admit that their collisions that followed were intentional. And portion helium told constabulary helium carried 2 handguns successful his vehicle, helium said “he did not cognize wherefore helium would person changeable his weapon and could not callback immoderate portion of the shooting incident,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators successful Oklahoma allege Lovell utilized the aforesaid .40-caliber weapon successful some shootings, contempt having reported that the limb was stolen. Neither indictment suggests wherefore helium mightiness person fired the weapon.

Paul Woodward, the administrative justice for Garfield County, said Lovell agreed to not preside implicit immoderate cases until his ain charges are resolved.