Criminal trial to take place at OCU law school

After jury selection in the trial of a man accused of eluding a police officer and speeding, the proceedings will move Tuesday from Bass' courtroom downtown to the Homsey Family Moot Courtroom at the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

“I'm so happy that we finally got this trial,” said Bass, a 1991 OCU law school graduate whose past attempts to bring a trial to OCU were derailed by logistical problems.

A couple of high-profile murder trials posed potential security risks. More recently, the defendant in a drug case headed to OCU entered a plea and avoided trial.

James William Bowie, 43, of Oklahoma City, the man accused of leading police on a pursuit in January 2011 that reached speeds of 100 mph, is out of custody, and does not pose a security risk, Bass said.

Holding court on campus will expose many of the law school's 550 students to a setting they have never experienced, the judge said.

“They get to see the real world,” Bass said. “They don't get a lot of chances to come sit through a trial.”

Jury selection begins Monday at the Oklahoma County Courthouse and then moves to the mock courtroom at OCU for witness testimony and the presentation of evidence.

The auditorium-style venue seats as estimated 200 people.

Shanika Chapman, a third-year law student, said the trial will be an “invaluable” learning tool.