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A Tulsa County judge dismissed her own protective order against a journalist, then had him arrested for contempt of court hours later when he exercised his newly restored right to enter her courtroom. The bizarre sequence of events unfolded at the Tulsa County Courthouse, where Judge Sharon Holmes faces ongoing judicial complaints for allegedly drinking and driving with her minor grandchild in the vehicle.
The Protective Order That Vanished
Judge Sharon Holmes had maintained a protective order against journalist Ron Durbin since February 2024, following his investigation into her alleged pattern of drinking and driving. The order prohibited Durbin from entering the floor where her courtroom was located. But just before a scheduled hearing on Durbin's motion to dismiss the protective order, Holmes suddenly dismissed it herself.
The timing was suspect. Durbin had recently issued subpoenas demanding communications between Holmes and her judicial colleagues, police departments, and other officials. By dismissing the protective order, Holmes effectively killed those subpoenas since there was no longer an active case.
The Seven-Month Prohibition Ends
After learning that morning about the dismissal, Durbin decided to exercise his constitutional rights that had been restricted for seven months. He went to Holmes' courtroom floor and walked into her courtroom during what appeared to be an active proceeding.
According to witness testimony later provided by Holmes' colleague Morgan Williams, Durbin entered the courtroom, made an awkward wave gesture, and immediately turned around and left without saying anything. The entire interaction lasted seconds.
From Courtroom to Custody
Despite the brief and non-disruptive nature of his visit, Holmes ordered sheriff's deputies to bring Durbin to her chambers. When deputies escorted him back, Durbin immediately requested a Rule 15 recusal, citing potential judicial bias. Under Oklahoma court rules, such a request should strip a judge of jurisdiction over the matter.
Holmes ignored the recusal request and held Durbin in contempt of court, ordering him held without bond. In a particularly harsh move, she denied him any opportunity for bail, using detention as what appeared to be punishment rather than ensuring his court appearance.
The Transport and Processing
Deputies processed Durbin at the courthouse before loading him into a transport vehicle with no air conditioning in 100-degree weather. He was taken to David L. Moss Correctional Center, where he underwent strip searches and was placed in solitary confinement.
The journalist, who has documented heart conditions, began experiencing severe chest pain during the ordeal. Jail officials initially refused to provide his prescribed heart medication, saying processing could take 2 to 12 hours despite his medical emergency.
An Afternoon Hearing in Shackles
Within hours, the Oklahoma Supreme Court intervened and ordered retired Judge Jefferson Sellers to hear Durbin's contempt case that same afternoon. Sellers had been specially appointed to handle cases for Judge Radford, the same judge who had originally issued the protective order against Durbin.
Durbin was transported back to the courthouse in full wrist and leg shackles, where he was forced to argue his own case from the jury box while chained. He requested additional time to call witnesses and obtain counsel. Both requests were denied.
The Medical Emergency Nobody Addressed
After being sentenced to time served, Durbin was marched back to jail still in shackles rather than being released at the courthouse. Back in solitary confinement, his chest pain worsened dangerously. Only when he was able to convey his medical distress during a phone call did jail officials finally expedite his release process.
The entire ordeal stemmed from what multiple witnesses described as an awkward wave and immediate exit from a courtroom. But the deeper story involves a judge who allegedly endangered a child while driving under the influence, then used the power of her office against the journalist who exposed her.
The Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints has completed its investigation into Holmes' alleged drinking and driving incidents and forwarded their findings to Chief Justice John Kane. What happens next remains to be seen, but one question lingers: what exactly did Durbin capture on his cameras that day that reveals the full scope of this judicial retaliation?
Watch the complete footage to see what really happened in that courtroom and decide for yourself whether justice was served.
