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FOX NEWS - An Oklahoma judge who faced widespread criticism for letting a church camp rapist walk away with only probation earlier this year has let other child rapists avoid prison as well, according to a new report.

Marshall County District Judge Wallace Coppedge has agreed seven other times to send sex offenders home without prison sentences during his seven years behind the bench, The Oklahoman reported, citing court records.

The newspaper said most of the cases involved child rapes and the outcomes were linked to problems that appeared after the cases were filed in court.

"The simple explanations are that often cases change over time," Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association President Al Hoch told The Oklahoman last month.

Hoch added that prosecutors may strike the deals because witnesses would refuse to testify or "additional evidence becomes available and renders a case less appealing to a jury."

But judges don’t always have to approve the plea deals and several have told The Oklahoman that they would never consider only probation for an admitted child rapist.


In multiple other cases decided by a jury, a plea agreement or by choosing the punishment himself, Coppedge has sent sex offenders to prison, records viewed by the newspaper showed.

Coppedge, who hears cases from five different counties, did not respond to numerous requests for comment from the newspaper.

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