Sharon Holmes

Holmes worked for the Tulsa County District Attorney’s office as an assistant DA and later "ventured into private practice." She was sworn in as a judge on Jan. 12, 2015 after running against Blake Shipley.{{Cite web |last=Cuomo |first=Lindsay |date=2015-04-23 |title=Oklahoma Magazine |url=https://okmag.com/blog/a-womans-world/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Blake Shipley |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Blake_Shipley |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}} She replaced retired District Judge Jesse Harris.{{Cite web |last=Correspondent |first=Ralph Schaefer TBLN |date=2015-09-23 |title=Judge Sharon Holmes: New job means new experiences |url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/article_48e941a1-6353-5830-b477-739b89f56970.html |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Tulsa World |language=en}} She retained her seat in 2018 by capturing 78.12 percent of the 8001 votes cast.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Fred |date=2018-11-08 |title=District Judge Sharon Holmes Retains Her Post |url=https://theokeagle.com/2018/11/08/district-judge-sharon-holmes-retains-her-post/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=The Oklahoma Eagle |language=en-US}}

She was the judge who released the exonerated Corey Atchison, calling his case a "fundamental miscarriage of justice." Former DA, Tim Harris was the prosecutor.{{Cite web |last=On 6 |first=News |title=Tulsa Man Found Innocent After Serving 28 Years For Murder |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/5e35c23f2f69d76f62011595/tulsa-man-found-innocent-after-serving-28-years-for-murder |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}} Current DA, Steve Kunzweiler, defended Tim Harris's work and said they would be appealing Holmes's ruling that overturned Atchison's conviction,{{Cite web |title=Corey Atchison {{!}} National Registry of Exonerations |url=https://exonerationregistry.org/cases/13076 |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=exonerationregistry.org}} though Harris was accused in the 2020 NBC Dateline investigative episode of allegedly coercing one of two formerly convicted Black Tulsa brothers into confessions.{{Cite web |last=IMDB |title=The Long Road to Freedom |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12425772/}}{{Cite news |last=McDonnell |first=Brandy |date=18 June 2020 |title='Dateline NBC' special 'The Long Road to Freedom' to focus on wrongfully convicted Tulsa brothers |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/columns/brandy-mcdonnell/2020/06/19/dateline-nbc-special-the-long-road-to-freedom-to-focus-on-wrongfully-convicted-tulsa-brothers/60395517007/ |work=The Oklahoman}}{{Cite news |date=17 June 2020 |title=Dateline Episode Trailer: The Long Road to Freedom {{!}} Dateline NBC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMbyWVaXCk}}{{Cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Eli |date=16 July 2019 |title=Two brothers were wrongly convicted of separate murders. Now they are reunited as free men. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/07/17/two-brothers-were-wrongfully-convicted-separate-murders-now-they-are-reunited-free-men/ |work=Washington Post}}{{Cite news |date=24 September 2020 |title=Tulsa man sues state after wrongful murder conviction resulting in imprisonment for 28 years |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/tulsa-man-sues-state-after-wrongful-murder-conviction-resulting-in-imprisonment-for-28-years/article_5c6fb880-fdca-11ea-84ae-a366a334d29b.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024234252/https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/tulsa-man-sues-state-after-wrongful-murder-conviction-resulting-in-imprisonment-for-28-years/article_5c6fb880-fdca-11ea-84ae-a366a334d29b.html |archive-date=24 October 2020 |work=Tulsa World}}{{Cite news |title=Malcolm Scott, wrongfully convicted of murder, hopes to see shift in wake of George Floyd protests |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/malcolm-scott-wrongfully-convicted-murder-hopes-see-shift-wake-george-n1231605 |work=NBC News}}{{Cite news |date=17 June 2019 |title='I can't hold no grudge. Life's too short:' Corey Atchison found actually innocent after 1991 murder conviction |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/i-cant-hold-no-grudge-lifes-too-short-corey-atchison-found-actually-innocent-after-1991/article_f618943c-270d-5aa4-8882-f8a60a643c29.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231191958/https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/i-cant-hold-no-grudge-lifes-too-short-corey-atchison-found-actually-innocent-after-1991/article_f618943c-270d-5aa4-8882-f8a60a643c29.html |archive-date=31 December 2021 |work=Tulsa World}}{{Cite news |date=19 June 2019 |title=Dateline NBC episode on Friday features two Tulsa brothers wrongfully convicted for murders |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dateline-nbc-episode-on-friday-features-two-tulsa-brothers-wrongfully-convicted-for-murders/article_f04fd5b1-d2e4-561b-a739-3de7146b9654.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231191959/https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dateline-nbc-episode-on-friday-features-two-tulsa-brothers-wrongfully-convicted-for-murders/article_f04fd5b1-d2e4-561b-a739-3de7146b9654.html |archive-date=31 December 2021 |work=Tulsa World}}{{Cite news |date=17 June 2020 |title=DATELINE NBC TO AIR FRIDAY SPECIAL ON DECADES-LONG FIGHT BY TWO BROTHERS TO OVERTURN THEIR WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA |url=https://press.nbcnews.com/2020/06/17/dateline-nbc-to-air-friday-special-on-decades-long-fight-by-two-brothers-to-overturn-their-wrongful-convictions-in-tulsa-oklahoma0/}}{{Cite news |date=19 June 2020 |title=Two brothers fight to prove their innocence on tonight's 'Dateline NBC: The Long Road to Freedom' |url=https://www.myarklamiss.com/entertainment-news/two-brothers-fight-to-prove-their-innocence-on-tonights-dateline-nbc-the-long-road-to-freedom/ |work=KARD}} Atchison's lawyer, Joseph Norwood, pointed out that "If Harris and Kunzweiler questioned the credibility of the lone witness against Atchison, the case should have been dismissed."{{Cite news |title=Corey Atchison's attorney issues statement in response to Tim Harris, Steve Kunzweiler comments |url=https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/corey-atchisons-attorney-issues-statement-in-response-to-tim-harris-steve-kunzweiler-comments |work=2 News Oklahoma}}

District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler also appealed and protested Holme's sentencing on Shawn Canady, "who was convicted on two counts of child sexual abuse." A petition for her resignation was started{{Cite web |last=Mummolo |first=Burt |date=2024-11-22 |title=Judge silent on petition asking for her resignation |url=https://ktul.com/news/local/judge-silent-on-petition-asking-for-her-resignation |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=KTUL |language=en}} after she did not take the jury's sentencing recommendation and gave Canady probation. Canady must also register as a sex offender.{{Cite web |last=News 9 |title=Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Sentence For Man Convicted Of Child Sexual Abuse Outrages Victims |url=https://www.news9.com/story/6722b436f3d39b60c0b35140/oklahomas-own-in-focus:-sentence-for-man-convicted-of-child-sexual-abuse-outrages-victims |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.news9.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=On 6 |first=News |title=Tulsa County DA Frustrated With Sentence In Child Sexual Abuse Case |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/67205a466fdb793fd1fb3295/tulsa-county-da-frustrated-with-sentence-in-child-sexual-abuse-case |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}}

Holmes supported the Biden nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, for the Supreme Court, the first Black woman to serve on the court.{{Cite web |last=On 6 |first=News |title=Tulsa County Judge Reacts To First Black Woman Nominated To SCOTUS |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/62199b5d34b31b072d2f7b04/tulsa-county-judge-reacts-to-first-black-woman-nominated-to-scotus |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}} Brown Jackson was also questioned by Republican lawmakers for her sentencing ranges used on sex offenders.{{Cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |date=2022-03-21 |title=Attacks on Judge Jackson’s Record on Child Sexual Abuse Cases Are Misleading |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/21/us/politics/judge-jackson-child-sexual-abuse-fact-check.html |access-date=2025-06-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |date=2022-03-19 |title=Analysis {{!}} Josh Hawley’s misleading attack on Judge Jackson’s sentencing of child-porn offenders |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/19/sen-hawleys-misleading-attack-judge-jacksons-sentencing-child-porn-offenders/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}

Kunzweiler also asked for Holmes to be removed from the Cruz murder case after she had a private meeting with the suspect alone, in her chambers. {{Cite web |last=On 6 |first=News |title=Tulsa judge removed from murder case after private meeting with suspect |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/683e10585a5870b1b3610620/tulsa-judge-removed-from-murder-case-after-private-meeting-with-murder-suspect |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}} Presiding District Court Judge Dawn Moody "determined Judge Holmes should be disqualified from overseeing" the case.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Colleen |date=2025-06-03 |title=Tulsa County judge disqualified after secretive chat with murder suspect |url=https://ktul.com/news/local/tulsa-county-judge-disqualified-after-secretive-chat-with-murder-suspect-noe-cruz-sharon-holmes-ron-durbin |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=KTUL |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=World |first=Curtis Killman Tulsa |date=2025-06-03 |title=Judge removed from murder case after 'improper' meeting with defendant |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_12ad078b-196f-444b-bd53-3e71f5f4930c.html |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Tulsa World |language=en}}

Holmes has a bachelor’s degree on an ROTC scholarship and spent six years in the Air Force. She attended Oklahoma City University. She is a mother.{{Cite web |last=Cuomo |first=Lindsay |date=2015-04-23 |title=Oklahoma Magazine |url=https://okmag.com/blog/a-womans-world/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |language=en-US}} In 2019, she was hospitalized after being stabbed by her daughter.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-16 |title=Oklahoma judge stabbed in the leg, daughter is charged |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-fb63b08b9b844849980f5d21a690c9d0 |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Frontier |first=Dylan Goforth {{!}} The |date=2019-03-21 |title=Police videos show confusion in wake of alleged stabbing of Tulsa district court judge |url=https://www.enidnews.com/oklahoma/police-videos-show-confusion-in-wake-of-alleged-stabbing-of-tulsa-district-court-judge/article_d430eaf4-4be9-11e9-93b1-c7e74d85cdbd.html |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Enidnews.com |language=en}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Oklahoma City University School of Law alumni

Category:21st-century American women judges