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What started as routine courthouse business turned into an extraordinary display of judicial evasion when Tulsa County Judge Sharon Holmes refused to accept legal papers, forcing her staff to lock office doors and ignore repeated attempts at service. The entire incident was captured on video during a morning that exposed the lengths some officials will go to avoid accountability.
The journalist behind the camera wasn't just any visitor to the courthouse. He was there facing his own criminal charges, three misdemeanors he claims are retaliation for his investigative work. The charges include assault and battery for pushing away a security guard who allegedly put hands on him first, and resisting arrest despite voluntarily surrendering to authorities.
The Subpoenas That Started the Chaos
The legal papers being served weren't random harassment. They were subpoenas related to Judge Holmes' alleged drinking problem and a protective order she filed against the journalist. The investigation centers on documented incidents of Holmes allegedly drinking at the Hunt Club bar before driving with her eight-year-old grandson, behavior the journalist has captured on video multiple times.
Process server Lori had already attempted service twice before, once at the courthouse and once at Holmes' home where no one answered despite a barking dog inside. This third attempt was supposed to be different. Courthouse visits are typically straightforward for legal professionals, but nothing about this morning would prove typical.
Locked Doors and Running Staff
When the process servers arrived at Judge Holmes' fifth-floor chambers, they found the door locked despite a sign reading "knock if you need assistance." Staff members could be seen inside, but no one would answer. A sheriff's captain entered the office, spoke with someone inside, then emerged to direct the servers to a different floor entirely.
The captain's instructions led to the sixth floor and Kim Hall, the court administrator, who was supposedly authorized to accept service for all judges. But Hall was mysteriously "in a meeting" and unavailable. Her staff claimed they couldn't accept the specific type of legal papers being served, creating a bureaucratic maze that seemed designed to frustrate the process.
The Game of Courthouse Hide and Seek
Back on the fifth floor, the real drama unfolded. Judge Holmes' bailiff, Morgan Williams, spotted the cameras and immediately retreated. Holmes herself was glimpsed briefly before disappearing back into her chambers. Phone calls flooded the courthouse offices as staff coordinated their avoidance strategy.
At one point, a courthouse employee told the journalist he couldn't film in the hallway, citing "Rule 11." When challenged, she threatened to call police. The journalist calmly read from the actual courthouse rules posted on the wall, which explicitly allowed filming in public areas outside courtrooms.
Captain's Dilemma and Official Interference
Sheriff's Captain Tron found himself caught between his duty to maintain order and the legal right of process servers to conduct their business. When the journalist pointed out that interfering with legal service is a misdemeanor, the captain acknowledged the servers could continue their work as long as they didn't create a disturbance.
The phones in Holmes' office rang constantly throughout the incident, suggesting someone was coordinating the avoidance effort. Staff members continued to peek around corners and quickly retreat when they spotted the cameras, creating a scene more suited to a comedy sketch than a courthouse.
The One Success and Lingering Questions
Despite the chaos, the process servers managed to serve Morgan Williams, the bailiff who had been instrumental in helping Holmes avoid previous accountability. Williams emerged from an office, was handed the papers, and retreated again, clearly frustrated by the public nature of the service.
The journalist noted the irony of officials who regularly put people in jail for various offenses refusing to accept basic legal papers. Judge Holmes has reportedly handled numerous drunk driving cases from the bench, yet allegedly engages in the same behavior the videos purport to document.
But the most important question remains unanswered: will Judge Holmes ever face the same accountability standards she applies to others from her bench? The courthouse game of hide and seek captured on video raises serious questions about judicial accountability, but the ultimate resolution can only be found by watching what happened next.
See the complete courthouse confrontation and judge's evasion tactics in the full video investigation.
