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Attorney Ron Durbin spent over $500 printing what he calls "day one" of fighting back against the system that has targeted him for his accountability journalism. Armed with 190 subpoenas written in a single night, Durbin and his process server Sean embarked on a methodical campaign to compel testimony and records from every level of Tulsa's government.
The Security Guard Who Started It All
The legal saga began when Universal Security guard Testerman put his hands on Durbin during a routine open records request at Tulsa City Hall. Despite being touched first, Durbin was charged with assault after declining to prosecute Testerman. The confrontation was captured on video, showing Testerman making initial contact before Durbin defended himself.
When Durbin encountered Testerman during the subpoena service, the exchange was tense. "When was the last time you beat a woman?" Durbin asked the grinning security supervisor, referencing information he claimed to have received about Testerman's past behavior. The guard remained silent, sporting what Durbin described as a "sick grin" throughout the encounter.
Every Judge Gets Papers
The Tulsa County Courthouse received the bulk of the subpoenas, with every sitting judge being served papers in multiple cases. Court Administrator Kim Hall initially tried to coordinate service to avoid disruption, checking with individual judges about accepting service on their behalf.
Some judges, including the controversial Judge Glasco who is reportedly under investigation by the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints, insisted on personal service. Others, like the judge Durbin calls "racist" for comments made about his clients, agreed to let Hall accept the documents.
The subpoenas target records and testimony related to what Durbin alleges is a coordinated effort to silence his criticism of judicial corruption and police misconduct.
The Drunk Judge Investigation
Among the most explosive revelations was Durbin's discussion of Judge Sharon Holmes, whom he repeatedly calls "drunk judge Holmes." Durbin claims Holmes was stabbed by her own daughter during a domestic incident that was initially covered up by police before the daughter's eventual arrest.
According to Durbin, this incident explains why Holmes had custody of her grandchild when she was allegedly seen drinking at a bar with the child present. The Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints has completed their investigation of Holmes and forwarded their findings to the state Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Fighting the Bar Association
The subpoena blitz represents Durbin's response to being suspended by the Oklahoma Bar Association without what he claims was due process. Despite maintaining he hasn't been disbarred and hasn't had a hearing, Durbin says the suspension came after he exposed corruption and criticized judicial behavior.
Durbin plans to file a federal lawsuit seeking an emergency injunction to restore his license, not to continue practicing law, but to have the option to resign on his own terms rather than being pushed out for his advocacy work.
The Message Behind the Papers
Watch the full confrontation to see how Tulsa officials reacted when accountability finally came knocking at their doors.
