Court unseals documents in ex-cop’s sexual assault case

OKLAHOMA CITY – Unsealed documents in the case of a former Oklahoma City police officer convicted of rape show a secret hearing was held to determine whether personnel records that could help his appeal should be released.

Oklahoma’s Court of Criminal Appeals ordered several documents unsealed Thursday in the case of ex-officer Daniel Holtzclaw, who was sentenced to 263 years in prison after being convicted of preying on black women he encountered on duty. The unsealed paperwork comes days after an Associated Press story about the closed nature of the proceedings.

The newly released documents show they were filed under seal because they pertain to personnel records that must remain confidential under Oklahoma law. Court documents show those records could have value to Holtzclaw’s appeal.

Holtzclaw maintains his innocence and is challenging the DNA evidence used to convict him.