The Oklahoma Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the license of Tulsa attorney Christopher Mark Cooley after he pleaded guilty on two felony charges and was handed five year suspended sentences on each of the counts. The court will set a hearing to impose a final order of discipline after Cooley has an opportunity to present evidence or arguments that may mitigate the severity of the court’s discipline.
According to a charging document, Cooley on July 19, 2011 pawned a .40 caliber Taurus pistol as his own, when in fact the pistol five months earlier had been reported stolen from under the seat of someone’s vehicle. The attorney’s transaction at the pawn shop was recorded via video camera, and the pawn shop later provided police a copy of the recording and a copy of a pawn ticket. A pawn shop employee later identified Cooley as the man who had pawned the stolen pistol.
For that, Cooley was charged in March, 2012 with false declaration of ownership in a paw. He later arrested and released on $1,000 bond. In September, a judge issued another warrant for Cooley’s arrest – this time for failure to appear at an arraignment hearing.
In December, police alleged that Cooley provided a false name when they attempted to arrest him on the failure to appear warrant. Cooley was then charged with a second felony – falsely personate another to create liability.
He bonded out, this time for $3,000, but was again jailed on Jan. 29 when a bondsman alleged Cooley had violated the terms of his bond agreement. Court records indicate Cooley didn’t show up for Jan. 11 drug test and tested positive for opiates and cocaine in a Jan. 4 drug test.
In the deferred sentence agreements, Cooley was assessed court costs in both cases, and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service, submit to random drug tests and to obtain a drug-and-alcohol assessment.
