Politics
Independent Oklahoma governor candidate pleads not guilty in Rogers County case
Robert Brooks pleaded not guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor allegation that he threatened violence during a January visit to private property in Catoosa. A judge cut his bond in half after his attorneys argued he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public.
Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Robert Brooks pleaded not guilty Thursday in Rogers County to a misdemeanor charge alleging he threatened to commit an act of violence.
The charge stems from an incident alleged to have occurred Jan. 7, when Brooks went to private property in Catoosa and asked the owner about animal carcasses and skulls, according to court documents. The owner told Brooks to leave, then said Brooks became angry and made a threat before departing, the documents state.
Brooks denies the allegation, his attorneys said. They asked the court to reduce his bond, arguing he was not a flight risk or a danger to the public and that the allegations were unlikely to lead to a conviction at trial. The judge cut the bond by half, and it was posted shortly afterward, according to a statement from the attorneys.
Brooks is running for governor as an independent in the Nov. 3 election. He previously served briefly as Latimer County sheriff and has campaigned on changes to local government, including property taxes and water issues.
The misdemeanor case remains an allegation; Brooks has entered a not-guilty plea.