Hearing set on sheriff’s motion to toss grand jury petition

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – A judge will consider a request by the Tulsa County sheriff to toss thousands of signatures on a petition calling for a grand jury to investigate his office.

District Judge Rebecca Nightingale’s clerk said Thursday a hearing on the request will be held Tuesday.

Sheriff Stanley Glanz wants the court to toss 6,647 signatures gathered to empanel a grand jury, saying the petition was misleading and made no specific allegations against his office.

A petition-drive organizer says all laws were followed.

The effort began after Glanz’s friend, volunteer deputy Robert Bates, fatally shot an unarmed man April 2nd. Bates says he mistook his handgun for a stun gun. He’s pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter.

Bates has donated tens of thousands of dollars in cash and equipment to the agency.