A citizens group in north-central Oklahoma is trying to haul a former top prosecutor back under the courthouse lights. Parents for Payne County has filed a petition in Payne County District Court asking a judge to impanel a grand jury to investigate former District 9 District Attorney Laura Thomas. The petition, according to the group, names multiple public agencies and local court entities and accuses them of a pattern of misconduct that includes suppressing evidence and failing to investigate crimes involving children. Organizers say they gathered more signatures than the state constitution requires for a citizen-led grand jury, turning a local campaign into a formal legal push.
The petition is listed on public court dockets and turned up on a recent agenda for the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints, which cited Payne County filings under case numbers GJ-2025-2 and GJ-2026-1, a sign that state-level oversight bodies are taking notice. Meeting materials posted by the state outline the council’s plan to review the filings in executive session, according to Oklahoma.gov.
What the petition alleges
According to News 9, the filing accuses Thomas of suppressing evidence, abusing her authority, failing to report suspected child abuse, and engaging in misconduct that includes allegations of fraud, perjury, conspiracy, and misuse of public funds. The petition does not stop at one office; it also calls for scrutiny of a broader web of agencies and court-related entities tied to child welfare and county court operations.
Background and local reaction
Parents for Payne County, the citizen group behind the filing, says it followed Oklahoma’s grand jury petition process and collected the required signatures while holding public meetings to explain the effort. Local outlets have chronicled those forums and the disputes swirling around the petition drive and related court battles, including coverage of a meeting that proceeded amid the felony arrest of a Payne County witness, as reported by The Oklahoma Post.
What a grand jury could do
Jeremiah Gregory, who is expected to take office later this summer after being appointed to complete Thomas’ term, told News 9 that a grand jury, if impaneled, would hear testimony, review documents, and then decide whether the evidence supports recommendations or criminal indictments. Gregory said he supports a grand jury review and added that if the petition does not result in one, he would ask the Oklahoma attorney general to pursue an independent investigation instead.
Next steps
The petition itself does not create criminal charges. It asks a judge to authorize a grand jury process that could, depending on what jurors find, lead to recommendations, indictments, or no further action at all. So far, no district court judge has issued a final ruling on the request, and county court records show the matter is still active on Payne County dockets, according to the Payne County Court Clerk.
Whether this ends with a grand jury in the courthouse, an outside probe by the attorney general, or a long legal slog through motions and appeals will hinge on upcoming filings and judicial decisions. For now, petitioners are publicly calling for a sweeping review and accountability, while county officials had not provided a detailed response at the time of recent reporting.
