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An attorney's routine records request at the Payne County Courthouse has uncovered what appears to be systematic destruction of public documents by a sitting judge. The discovery centers on digitally altered court records that were changed multiple times after the attorney questioned their accuracy, potentially violating Oklahoma's Open Records Act.
The Digital Trail That Exposed Everything
Attorney Ronald Durban was reviewing court records online when he noticed something disturbing. A minute order from Judge Priddy's court had been altered to say he "did not appear" at a hearing he had actually attended. Even more troubling, Durban had screenshots proving the document originally stated the opposite.
The evidence shows at least three different versions of the same court record, each edited after Durban's visits to the courthouse. What started as a simple motion withdrawal had been transformed into a fabricated narrative that erased his presence from the official record entirely.
The Courthouse Confrontation That Changed Everything
When Durban first approached Judge Priddy's minute clerk to correct what he believed was an error, the response was swift and overwhelming. Within minutes of his polite inquiry about the incorrect record, five sheriff's deputies surrounded him in the courthouse hallway.
The attorney, who suffers from heart conditions, was visibly shaken by the aggressive response to what should have been a routine clerical correction. No explanation was given for the show of force against a licensed attorney asking about public records during normal business hours.
Records Vanish Into Digital Oblivion
Court clerk staff confirmed that minute orders, once entered into the state's online system, become official public records under Oklahoma law. However, when pressed about accessing previous versions of edited documents, they had no clear process for retrieving the original records.
This creates a chilling scenario where judges could potentially alter any court record and eliminate all evidence of the original version. Durban's screenshots may be the only proof that Judge Priddy's minute orders ever contained different information.
The Pattern of Obstruction Emerges
During his follow-up visit, Durban deliberately adopted an extremely soft-spoken, deferential tone to avoid another confrontation with courthouse security. Despite his careful approach, he was told that all video records of his previous encounters would need to be requested through the sheriff's general counsel rather than being available for immediate inspection as required by law.
The courthouse staff's helpful demeanor stood in stark contrast to the aggressive response he received when questioning Judge Priddy's altered records just days earlier.
What the Video Evidence Reveals
The footage captures not just the attorney's careful documentation of the altered records, but also the courthouse staff's admission that judges can order changes to official documents without maintaining copies of the original versions. This revelation has profound implications for the integrity of Oklahoma's court system.
Watch the complete investigation to see the shocking courthouse footage and the digital evidence that could expose judicial misconduct at the highest levels.
