(Stillwater) — Former Stillwater Police Officer Louis Alvie “Buck” Morris, 48, has waived his right to a speedy trial on charges alleging he committed five sex acts with a 15-year-old female student in May.
Morris has been ordered to appear in Payne County District Court on Jan. 4, 2010, for a preliminary hearing on two counts of rape by instrumentation and three counts of lewd acts with a child, court records show.
His preliminary hearing on the five-count felony charge had originally been scheduled to be held in August, but it was postponed.
Morris appeared in court with defense attorney Joe White of Oklahoma City on a September docket at which time he waived his right to a speedy trial and his preliminary hearing date was rescheduled.
Morris could receive as much as two life without parole sentences plus 60 years in prison if convicted of all counts, court records show.
Morris was an officer with the Stillwater Police Department for 17 years, including six years as a School Resource Officer, and resigned from the department on June 26, Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said.
He had been suspended without pay at the time of his June 16 arrest at his Ripley residence, McNickle said.
Morris was booked into the Payne County Jail and released after posting a $25,000 property bond, court records show.
The Stillwater Police Department began an investigation on May 20 when a citizen reported a concern to police that Morris was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl, McNickle said.
“The original information supplied by the citizen had no evidence of criminal activity by Morris,” McNickle said.
“The internal investigation continued until June 1, 2009, when information was discovered that Morris had possibly violated state law in his conduct with the 15-year-old victim,” McNickle said.
“Based on this information, I immediately asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to assist the Stillwater Police Department in conducting a criminal investigation into Morris’ conduct,” MicNickle said.
“On June 2, 2009, the criminal investigation determined probable cause existed that Morris committed a felony. Also on June 2, 2009, Morris was suspended from duty and his powers to act as a police officer were revoked,” McNickle said.
According to an affidavit by OSBI agent Richard Brown, the girl knew Morris for the two years she attended Stillwater Junior High School. She said that she talked with Morris every morning at school, the affidavit said.
“She and Morris exchanged phone numbers and would text each other. She felt Morris knew she liked him and that he liked her,” the affidavit alleged.
She told the OSBI agent that Morris fondled her while they were alone in his home and that while he was driving her back to her house, Morris put his finger in her genital area, the affidavit alleged.
In May, two days before she was to leave Oklahoma for the summer, Morris came by her house while her father was at work and they performed manual sex acts on each other, the affidavit alleged.
Morris subsequently talked to Stillwater Police Officer Guy Palladino, who was a School Resource Officer assigned to Stillwater’s Sangre Ridge Elementary and Middle Schools, as well as Westwood Elementary School. Palladino also was a Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) representative for any officer at the Stillwater Police Department, according to the affidavit.
Morris told Palladino that they had sexual contact, but denied having oral or vaginal sex with the girl, the affidavit alleged.
“Morris knew his job was gone and he hoped he did not have to go to prison, but that he had done this to himself,” the affidavit alleged.
Morris has been ordered to appear in Payne County District Court on Jan. 4, 2010, for a preliminary hearing on two counts of rape by instrumentation and three counts of lewd acts with a child, court records show.
His preliminary hearing on the five-count felony charge had originally been scheduled to be held in August, but it was postponed.
Morris appeared in court with defense attorney Joe White of Oklahoma City on a September docket at which time he waived his right to a speedy trial and his preliminary hearing date was rescheduled.
Morris could receive as much as two life without parole sentences plus 60 years in prison if convicted of all counts, court records show.
Morris was an officer with the Stillwater Police Department for 17 years, including six years as a School Resource Officer, and resigned from the department on June 26, Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said.
He had been suspended without pay at the time of his June 16 arrest at his Ripley residence, McNickle said.
Morris was booked into the Payne County Jail and released after posting a $25,000 property bond, court records show.
The Stillwater Police Department began an investigation on May 20 when a citizen reported a concern to police that Morris was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl, McNickle said.
“The original information supplied by the citizen had no evidence of criminal activity by Morris,” McNickle said.
“The internal investigation continued until June 1, 2009, when information was discovered that Morris had possibly violated state law in his conduct with the 15-year-old victim,” McNickle said.
“Based on this information, I immediately asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to assist the Stillwater Police Department in conducting a criminal investigation into Morris’ conduct,” MicNickle said.
“On June 2, 2009, the criminal investigation determined probable cause existed that Morris committed a felony. Also on June 2, 2009, Morris was suspended from duty and his powers to act as a police officer were revoked,” McNickle said.
According to an affidavit by OSBI agent Richard Brown, the girl knew Morris for the two years she attended Stillwater Junior High School. She said that she talked with Morris every morning at school, the affidavit said.
“She and Morris exchanged phone numbers and would text each other. She felt Morris knew she liked him and that he liked her,” the affidavit alleged.
She told the OSBI agent that Morris fondled her while they were alone in his home and that while he was driving her back to her house, Morris put his finger in her genital area, the affidavit alleged.
In May, two days before she was to leave Oklahoma for the summer, Morris came by her house while her father was at work and they performed manual sex acts on each other, the affidavit alleged.
Morris subsequently talked to Stillwater Police Officer Guy Palladino, who was a School Resource Officer assigned to Stillwater’s Sangre Ridge Elementary and Middle Schools, as well as Westwood Elementary School. Palladino also was a Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) representative for any officer at the Stillwater Police Department, according to the affidavit.
Morris told Palladino that they had sexual contact, but denied having oral or vaginal sex with the girl, the affidavit alleged.
“Morris knew his job was gone and he hoped he did not have to go to prison, but that he had done this to himself,” the affidavit alleged.
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