As an elite Tulsa law firm with roots dating back to 1932 when C. Lawrence Elder began trying cases in Oklahoma courtrooms, Fry & Elder has achieved no shortage of legal feats.
The nationally-acclaimed firm’s trial lawyers have donned multiple legal hats, taken on many leadership positions and received numerous honors over the past 86 years. Fry & Elder’s attorneys actively practice Oklahoma family law, immigration law, criminal law and personal injury law cases.
One legal role no Fry & Elder trial lawyer, however, has played in the elite Tulsa law firm’s illustrious history has been that of a prosecutor.
“That is a point of pride for us, especially in criminal defense work” Fry & Elder trial lawyer Aaron Bundy said. “The entire careers of every lawyer working here at Fry & Elder have been dedicated to helping individuals, including fighting for the wrongfully accused.”
Bundy and fellow Fry & Elder trial lawyer and partner M. Shane Henry focus much of their respective practice areas on criminal defense work, including protective orders, federal criminal defense, bullying and DUI.
“I think with all of the technology and media coverage in place today, it is now easier than ever before for the court of public opinion to presume the accused is guilty and not innocent,” Bundy said. “But the judicial system has and will continue to operate under the presumption that one is innocent until proven guilty.”
Fighting for the Wrongfully Accused Often Comes with Prosecutor Bias
In 2017, Bundy and Henry traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers® 2017 Midwinter Meeting & Seminar where the two AV-Rated attorneys listened in as legendary criminal defense mastermind Barry Scheck presented.
Perhaps no other attorney is more well-versed in advocating for the wrongfully accused than Scheck. He co-founded the Innocence Project which has exonerated innocent, yet wrongfully convicted individuals like Michael Morton.
Morton was released from prison in 2011 after serving nearly 25 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of his wife’s murder.
Morton publicly unveiled his remarkable and tragic story in his book “Getting Life: An Innocent Man’s 25-Year Journey from Prison to Peace” which also documented the unethical work of prosecuting attorney Ken Anderson.
Anderson was arrested and jailed after a court of inquiry found that the Morton’s former prosecutor had failed to “provide defense lawyers with exculpatory evidence indicating that another man might have killed Morton’s wife, including information that his 3-year-old son witnessed the murder and said his dad was not home at the time.”
Unfortunately, Anderson’s tale is not the only example of prosecutor immorality. As The Hill reported in a 2017 article:
“Traditionally, prosecutors are seen as measuring success in terms of convictions, plea bargains or the amount of punishment exacted.”
Titled “Criminal justice reform starts with the prosecutor,” the piece discussed how some 24 prosecutors from across the country met to discuss changes to their roles in the criminal justice system.
Adam Foss is an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts had this to say: “Prosecutors are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. Our power is virtually boundless.”
When discussing the mindset of many prosecuting attorneys, Foss added this insight:
“For the most part, prosecutors step on the job with little appreciation of the impact of our decisions, regardless of our intent. Prosecutors aren’t really incentivized to be creative. … We stick to an outdated method that is counterproductive to achieving the goal that we all want, which is safer communities.”
Elite Tulsa Law Firm Attorneys Who Will Fight for You
If you are investigated or charged with a crime, you will need to contact an experienced criminal law defense attorney. Should you decide to contact Fry & Elder, you can have the peace of mind that no lawyer at the firm has ever worked on behalf of the government to accuse people of crimes
Furthermore, the elite Tulsa law firm has been named to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firm’s List every year since 2014. The renowned law firm’s lineup of attorneys includes the following:
- Robert G “Hap” Fry Jr. (Family Law)
- James R. Elder (Family Law)
- Luke Barteaux (Family Law and Criminal Defense)
- Kirsten Bernhardt (Criminal Defense and Family Law)
- Aaron D. Bundy (Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Family Law)
- Ruth Calvillo (Immigration Law)
- Allyson Dow (Family law)
- Katie Egan (Family Law and Criminal Defense)
- Melissa Fell (Family Law)
- Shane Henry (Family Law and Criminal Defense)
- Amy Page (Family law)
- Lorena Rivas (Immigration law)
Contact Fry & Elder Tulsa today to set up a personal consultation with a proven trial lawyer who will aggressively fight for you in and out of the courtroom.