The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Thursday upheld District Judge Tom Walker’s ruling that a pair of teenagers should stand trial as adults for the slaying of an Ardmore man.
District Attorney Craig Ladd said the court “affirmed” Walker’s May 23 ruling certifying Alex Scallion, 15, and Sha’Ron Fields, 15, as adults. The teenagers face first-degree manslaughter charges in connection with the July 2007, beating death of Steven Goddard. The appeals court ruling puts the teens’ cases back on track to stand trial in Carter County District Court.
Appeals judges conducted separate hearings for Scallion and Fields. Ladd argued before the court in both cases. Assistant District Attorney Heather Cooper appeared with Ladd in court and Ladd praised her for her efforts in preparing the prosecution’s case.
“Heather did an fine job in researching and responding to briefs leading up to the hearing,” Ladd said, adding, “We are very pleased by the court’s findings.”
Ladd said defense attorneys for Scallion and Fields had appealed the certifications based on allegations the judge had abused his discretion when he determined they should stand trial as adults. Appeals judges found no basis for the defense’s claims.
This was the defense team’s second attempt to derail Walker’s ruling.
On May 17, appeals judges had returned a similar appeal filed by defense attorneys David Pyle, Ardmore, and Jerry Wade, Sulphur, back to Carter County District Court.
The return asked Walker to conduct another certification hearing and provide separate rulings, one for Scallion and one for Fields. Walker had originally certified both Scallion and Fields Jan. 4., but issued only one finding in which both defendants were named.
Walker conducted a second certification hearing six days later.
Ladd called Stephanie Hacker, a Department of Human Services social worker assigned to Ardmore Middle School, to the witness stand during that hearing. Hacker testified Scallion and Fields had been the aggressors in a 2006 attack on another student at the school. She said the twosome had been suspended, and when they had been allowed to return to the classroom they had been “... suspended frequently” and caused, “ ... one problem after another.”
Robert Wilkins, an employee of the state Office of Juvenile Affairs, also testified for the state at the same hearing. Wilkins told Walker he had viewed a video tape that captured the attack on the middle school student and confirmed it was similar to the one that claimed Goddard’s life a year later. He said the school attack led to both Scallion and Fields being placed under the direction of his agency. At the time, Scallion and Fields had been placed on juvenile probation and required to undergo counseling and perform community service.
Wilkins testified there were no guarantees how long the duo would be detained in a juvenile detention facility if they were convicted of the first-degree manslaughter charges. He said it would be even harder to predict if they would ever be held in a “priority one” juvenile detention center. Wilkins also confirmed the rehabilitation success rate of juvenile priority one facilities were not high.
“ ... We see a lot that go through and end up in the (adult) prison system eventually,” he said.
Scallion’s and Fields’ attorneys did not call any witnesses or offer any mitigating evidence during the May 23 hearing.
Walker again ruled the pair should be tried as adults. In handing down his decision the judge said on-the-record that he considered the “circumstances of each juvenile on their own merit,” and issued two separate rulings. Walker added his decision included consideration of numerous factors including prior hearing transcripts, the OJA and psychological reports, hearing testimony and the seven points of law surrounding adult certification.
Scallion’s 23-year-old brother, Jason, and 31-year-old Deondrae Maytubby, co-defendants in the case, pleaded guilty to Goddard’s death earlier this year. Both were charged with first-degree manslaughter. However, evidence in the case indicates while the adults played a role in the attack on Goddard, the teenagers were the primary assailants.
Scallion received a 4-year prison sentence, while Maytubby was sentenced to 6 years behind bars. Both men were sentenced April 30 and both currently remain detained at the Carter County Detention Center pending transfer to a state penitentiary.
Trial dates for the teens were not available at press time. Both are detained pending the posting of $500,000 bonds.
Marsha Miller 221-6529
marsha.miller@ardmoreite.com
