Jack Bowyer seeks election for district attorney

Assistant District Attorney Jack Bowyer has announced that he will seek election for the Logan/Payne County District Attorney’s open seat in 2014.

Jack is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Goals of Jack Bowyer’s campaign for Logan/Payne County District Attorney are:

Expand awareness for victims of Domestic Abuse through education of the Court system. Many victims, after the arrest of aggressors, request that the charges be dismissed. Victims should not be victimized again and again by the aggressors. A promise by the aggressors that “it will never happen again” is always taken into account, however more times than not, the domestic abuse continues. The victims should have counseling to prevent future domestic abuse. This cycle of domestic abuse needs to stop through intervention by the Court system, counselors, education, and prosecution of the offenders.

Shorten the time from the date of the 1st Court Appearance until the case has been resolved. This will aid victims with the timely repayment of restitution for injuries and losses caused by the offenders. Victims should be made whole as quickly as possible. This will also aid the Court system in the reduction of a growing backlog of cases.

Increase Specialty Courts. Discussions with the Presiding Judge and Drug Court Officers has opened the possible expansion of the Payne County Drug Court to include Mental Health, Veterans Drug Court, and Juvenile Drug Courts for both counties. Payne and Logan Drug Courts have saved public money by diverting drug offenders from being housed in state prisons to an intensive out-patient program saving more than 2.7 Million Dollars in recent years.

Obtain and employ a Federal and State Grant Writer to aid the District Attorney’s Office in the preparation and obtaining Federal and State Grants, to expand the effectiveness of the DA’s Office. These types of grants will aid in the prosecution of various crimes which affect our community.

Reformation of the District Attorney’s Drug Task Force. Prior to the lapse of this Task Force, Law Enforcement Officers involved were trained and educated by funding of the Drug Task Force. Once their assignment to the Drug Task Force was completed, the officers were transferred back to their respective law enforcement agencies. Their training, knowledge, and experience aided each Police Agency, without addition cost, and improved the investigation and prosecution of drug offenses. The District Attorney’s Drug Task force aided our community.

Expand Education of prosecutors for both young and veteran prosecutors. This can be accomplished by having the prosecutors attend more seminars and educational programs directly affecting their ability to evaluate the facts of a cases, filing charges, and presentation of the facts of the case to a Judge or a Jury.

Jack began his career in Law Enforcement in 1971 (click here for more information). Jack attended, at that time, the only local college that offered a Law Enforcement Associate’s Degree at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. In 1972, Jack was drafted into the United States Army. After completion of Basic Training and Advance Individual Training, Jack was assigned to the 1st Armored Division, 501st Military Police in Ansbach, Germany. There Jack was assigned as a Private First Class to the Provost Marshall. The Provost Marshal is basically the Chief of Police of the 501st Military Police. Jack’s duties were routine patrol and enforcement of the Uniform Military Code of Justine. During this assignment Jack requested to initiate the 1st Armored Division Drug Intelligence System. During this period of time Jack was promoted and became the first agent of this law enforcement agency for the 1st Armored Division. Jack was again promoted to Sergeant. Jack received an Honorable Discharge in 1974.

After his Honorable Discharge, Jack returned to NOC to complete his Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement. While completing his degree, Jack was also a faculty member of NOC as a Head Resident of the Bush-Duvall men’s Resident Dorm. Jack earned his Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement in 1975. In the fall semester of 1975, Jack attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Law Enforcement. After enrolling in classes, Jack was offered the position as Assistant Police Chief in Kiowa, Kansas, approximately 15 miles from Alva, Oklahoma. Jack held this position until his graduation with a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Law Enforcement and a minor in Psychology.

While seeking a law enforcement position, Jack was offered a position with Bartlesville Police Department. Jack worked the night shift, until he was accepted as a law student with Tulsa University College of Law. During his 2nd year at T.U. College of Law, Jack was offered a position, by the then Tulsa District Attorney, David Moss, as a D.A. Investigator, with primary duties as a Legal Intern. During this time, Jack represented Tulsa County Officials in Tulsa District Court and the Northern Federal Court System, was assigned as one of a two person team to screen and prosecute all Misdemeanor criminal cases. After Jack passed the Oklahoma bar examine, D.A. David Moss then promoted Jack to a supervisor Team Captain for the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. As a Team Captain, Jack was the supervisor of nine Assistant District Attorneys and six Legal Interns responsible for review, supervision, and prosecution of the Tulsa County Child Support Enforcement Division, Misdemeanor screenings and prosecutions, Mental Health cases, and the Juvenile Division. Jack conducted many jury trials in all areas that he was the Team Captain, to include training younger attorneys on the selection of jurors, proper presentation of arguments, and proper introduction of evidence presented before the Court and Jurors.

In 1986, Jack moved home to Perkins, Oklahoma to be with his aging family and practice law. While in private practice he employed two attorneys and three support staff. Jack legal practice included being a criminal lawyer and representing citizens accused of felony and misdemeanor criminal offenses, representing clients in Family Relations (Divorce and Child Support), representing clients in the Administration of Probate Estates. Jack was also a Loan Closing Officer for the Farm Home Administration while in private practice. During this period of time Jack was also selected one of several Court Appointed Attorneys. Jack represented clients accused of criminal felony and misdemeanor offenses. Jack was also Court Appointed to represented children and parents in Deprived and Delinquent hearings. Jack was a Court Appointed Attorney in Payne, Logan, Pawnee, Noble, and Lincoln Counties. Jack represented the Town of Perkins, OK in eliminating the long distance telephone service charge between Stillwater, OK and Perkins, OK in front of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Jack was the Town of Jennings Municipal Judge for 2 years and Jack represented the Town of Carney, OK as City Attorney for 4 years.

In 1992, Jack was selected, along with two other attorneys, as the first contract Court Appointed Counsel for all indigent appointment in Payne County. In 1993, the State of Oklahoma established the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System (OIDS). Jack was one of three same attorneys that were selected as the first OIDS Attorneys for Payne County.

In 1994, Jack was employed as an Assistant District Attorney for Payne/Logan Counties. Jack’s initial job duties were the prosecution of all Misdemeanor cases for Payne County. After a few months, Jack was transferred and placed in charge of the Juvenile Division for Payne County, including representing the state in Deprived and Delinquent cases, mental health cases. Jack conducted numerous jury trials and non jury trials while assigned to the Juvenile Division.

Jack was assigned to prosecute felony drug cases in Payne County, including Post Conviction Reliefs, Judicial Reviews and all Asset Forfeitures. Jack was also assigned as the Payne County’s DA’s Office staff attorney for the Payne County Drug Court, a position he maintained until 2008. Jack assisted the District Attorney in forming the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Drug Task Force. Jack was the Director of the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Drug Task Force for approximately 9 years. Jack reviewed and prosecuted all felony drug cases that were presented by all local Police Agencies as well as the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Drug Enforcement Agency prosecuted at the State level. Jack conducted numerous jury trials before District Judge Donald Worthington and Associated District Judge Robert Murphy. Jack volunteered as an Instructor for Council for Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) classes for Reserve Police Officers at Meridian Technology for approximately eight years. Jack has tried numerous prisoner prison contraband cases, with the punishments being consecutive to the inmate’s current sentence. The inmate would serve his time for the criminal charge that the inmate was serving and upon completion, consecutively, serve additional time. Jack was nominated and selected as the Association of Oklahoma Narcotics Enforcers Region I Prosecutor of the Year 1997-1998. Jack was further nominated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as the Association of Oklahoma Narcotic Enforcers Region I Prosecutor of the Year 2005-2006 and selected as the Association of Oklahoma Narcotic Enforcers State Prosecutor of the Year 2005-2006.

In 2008, Jack resigned his position because of a change of funding expenditures by the Oklahoma District Attorney Counsel as to the Federal Drug Grant Funds, which directly affected a large portion of Jack’s salary.

In July 2008 Jack was the Managing partner of Hobbs and Bowyer, Attorneys at Law. Jack’s primary representation of clients were Domestic cases, involving custody and divorce. Jack selected and employed case managers for the effective scheduling and representation of clients. Jack conducted mediation / arbitration hearings in representation of clients. Jack was a member of the Oklahoma Defense Lawyers Association and attended several seminars to better represent clients. Jack was a Title Examiner for loan applications for several Banking Institutions.

In 2011, Jack returned to the District Attorney’s Office to prosecute all phases of prosecution of Felony Drug offenses within the Payne County, including Asset Forfeiture. Jack was then reassigned to the Logan County DA office to prosecute all phases of prosecution of Felony and Misdemeanor Drug offenses within Logan County, Oklahoma, including Drug Asset Forfeiture, Gambling Cases, Post Conviction Relief applications, Judicial Review Cases. Jack volunteered to be assigned to the Juvenile Division for Logan County, representing the State when children are the victims and representing the State when children under the age of 18 have alleged to commit offenses. Jack Also volunteered for the Logan County Drug Court D.A.’s Liaison. Jack has conducted several jury trials in Logan County, Oklahoma.