Earlier this year, Joe Norwood announced a multi-million settlement with the city of Tulsa. The award was being paid to two Norwood.Law clients.
But there was something extraordinary about the case.
The story started long before the settlement.
Our clients, Demarchoe Carpenter and Malcolm Scott, spent over 20 years in Oklahoma’s brutal prison system before a judge said they’d been fully innocent of murder all along.
The crime involved a Tulsa driveby shooting that left a young woman dead.
As the years passed, the government’s case against Scott and Carpenter collapsed.
So why did it take years for the government to finally agree to compensation for Carpenter and Scott.
Unfortunately, court cases in Oklahoma can take longer than most people might think.
How long? Keep reading.
Fighter
No matter how grave or complicated your case, Norwood.Law can do it all.
So don’t stop reading.
We don’t just free the wrongfully convicted.
Maybe you’re fighting to get your children back. Maybe you’ve been hurt by a corporation. Maybe your growing business needs legal protection.
Call for a consultation at 918-582-6464.
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Let Norwood.Law calm your anxieties.
Misery
In the case of Norwood.Law clients Malcolm Scott and Demarchoe Carpenter, a critical support beam in the government’s case crumbled. Two key witnesses recanted their testimony. They said police pressured and coerced them into identifying Scott and Carpenter.
Then the actual shooter confessed. That man said he couldn’t believe police had overlooked him for so long.
Carpenter and Scott were released and ultimately awarded $15 million in 2026 as compensation for their two decades of misery.
Here’s the twist: It took eight excruciating years before Tulsa officials finally agreed to the settlement.
It brings to mind a maxim about America’s court system: Justice delayed is justice denied.
Forever
There are two types of typical court cases.
The first is criminal, in which you’re accused of a crime. The other is civil, in which you’re seeking a divorce or compensation from a product injury.
Either way, both types of cases can take longer than you might expect.
Critics of the justice system aren’t wrong about delayed justice.
Court cases in America routinely take months or years.
Pain and suffering
Say you’ve been hurt by a person or corporation in Oklahoma. You can pursue compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages.
If we filed a case on your behalf, it would be a civil lawsuit.
One thing that makes civil lawsuits distinct from other cases is the amount of money that may be involved. A divorce in Oklahoma became one of the costliest in American history and involved nearly a billion dollars.
Court watchers in Oklahoma say a civil case can take anywhere from several months to several years.
Knowledge
You’ll want Joe Norwood’s legal expertise if we’re filing a lawsuit over liability. Personal-injury cases that are complicated can come with numerous layers of liability and insurance policies.
Months can drift by without either party taking any major actions.
- If you’re receiving medical care for an injury, that can make the process take longer.
- Major corporations have the resources to further prolong a court battle.
- More waiting will occur If one party rejects responsibility.
Relatively small injury cases can be resolved in a year or two. But other cases can be held back by seemingly endless scheduling changes and other factors.
Pre-trial alone can take years. That’s when the parties disclose evidence, file motions, meet with the judge, and negotiate a settlement.
Most civil cases in Oklahoma are settled during the pre-trial phase. Medical malpractice cases can take longer. Claims stemming from car accidents can take longer if there are injuries.
We win
Norwood.Law can’t stop winning for clients.
Joe has defeated banking interests and insurance companies. He’s freed five wrongfully convicted men in separate cases. He’s won settlements against foreign product manufacturers.
His record is the evidence.
If you need help, Norwood.Law has your back.
Long waits
Sometimes the amount of time a civil case takes is simply beyond our control.
Civil cases are not quickly sent to trial, and it can take over a year to get a trial date.
Since divorces are civil cases, how long do they take?
There are numerous factors that could make it take longer. Even when no children are present, couples are required to wait 10 days before a divorce is finalized.
It’s a 90-day wait if the couple does have children. Then there could be disputes over alimony and child support or valuable assets like real estate or retirement accounts or business interests.
Then there could be a discovery phase in which the parties disclose evidence, financials, and documents.
Resolution could take mere weeks if there are no children and the divorce is uncontested. A contested divorce can take one to two years.
These factors can tie up a divorce case, too:
- The parties filing numerous motions
- Heavier dockets in bigger jurisdictions
When the spouses are cooperating, the case moves faster.
Arrested
Whether you or someone you love is being accused of a crime, keep reading.
The arrest, charges, and arraignment are just the beginning.
Next the defense and prosecuting attorneys will engage in discovery where the parties exchange evidence that could be used in court. It’s in this stage that we can determine whether the government has a case at all.
Your case can also be impacted by the number of witnesses testifying and the amount of evidence available. Then there could be numerous pretrial motions that seek to dismiss the charges or evidence. Then there’s the time needed to pick a jury.
So as you can see, criminal cases in Oklahoma don’t happen quickly.
Trials can take months, weeks, or days.
While all of this sounds maddening, time helps ensure that the court is looking at the whole story.
The overwhelming majority of Oklahoma criminal cases are concluded with a plea bargain rather than a trial.
Joseph M. Norwood is a Tulsa attorney with the courtroom expertise you need. Contact his office at 918-582-6464.
By G.W. Schulz