An Oklahoma state legislator will not serve jail time after pleading guilty to domestic violence offenses, yet he has resigned from his position in the state House.
Ty Burns resigned two days post his guilty plea to misdemeanor charges, according to the Oklahoma Voice. This resignation came after demands from Gov. Kevin Stitt and other political figures.
Court documents disclose that Burns forced a vehicle containing his 16-year-old daughter off the road, leading to two misdemeanor assault charges, and attempted to gouge his wife’s eye with his finger last year, resulting in a misdemeanor domestic abuse charge.
He pleaded guilty on Thursday and was given a one year suspended sentence and ordered to complete a 52-week batterer’s intervention program.
Rather than resigning immediately, Burns stated in his letter to Stitt that he would remain in his position until a special election could be arranged. He mentioned October 1 as his resignation date, attributing his behavior to post-traumatic stress disorder.
“For the benefit of those I represent in House District 35, and more importantly for my family, stepping down is necessary,” wrote Burns, aged 46. “I fully acknowledge my actions and am attending counseling with my family. While not justifying my behavior, I am undergoing extensive treatment for military service-related issues that I have long neglected.”
Burns expressed gratitude in his resignation letter: “I wish to extend my thanks to my fellow House colleagues who have offered prayers and support to me and my family during this extremely challenging period.”
“Domestic violence leaves lasting scars on families and it can’t be minimized or overlooked,” Stitt said in response to Burns’ letter, The Oklahoman reported. “Rep. Burns’ decision to step down is the right one for his family, constituents, and the Legislature.”
The case against Burns involved incidents that took place months ago, but they were kept secret until his guilty plea on Thursday.
According to KFOR, the incident involving his teenage daughter took place in April and began with an argument after Burns accused his wife of allowing the girl to drink alcohol. Court records show he became verbally abusive and shoved his wife, who told a female relative in the home at the time to take the kids and leave.
The relative brought the 16-year-old girl out to her van, but Burns followed and began shaking and pushing the vehicle, shouting, “Get the h*** out of here! I hate you! You are the cause of all these problems!”
The relative drove away, but Burns followed in his truck and forced the van into a ditch. Both the daughter and the relative were injured. In a text to a sibling, the daughter wrote, “Dad’s f****** crazy he just ran us off the road.”
The incident in which he tried to gouge out his wife’s eye took place last November when he became angry she had made plans with friends. His actions broke a blood vessel in her eye.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the incidents and passed its finding to Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who said in a statement that “There was no legitimate justification for a felony charge in this case under current Oklahoma law.”
Drummond said if Burns does it again, he could be charged with a felony.
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, who did not call for Burns’ resignation after his guilty plea, released Burns’ letter after Burns’ resignation and said he shared the disgraced lawmaker’s “belief that it is best for him and his family to focus on his treatment and rehabilitation at this time.”
“Domestic violence of any kind cannot and will not be tolerated by the House of Representatives,” Hilbert said.
Oklahoma law does not require elected state officials to resign if convicted of a misdemeanor, although it does require suspension in the case of a felony conviction.
Burns was elected in 2018 to represent House District 35 and was a key supporter of Oklahoma Republicans’ attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
