SHAWNEE, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) –June 18, 2025
In a stunning development that raises urgent questions about transparency, integrity, and potential fraud within the Oklahoma judiciary, another transcript has gone missing in the child custody case of Shawn Reed v. Stacy Cornelius, just months after the first disappearance. This time, it happened after Reed paid hundreds of dollars to obtain an official court transcript — only to receive a devastating reply: no hearing was properly recorded.
An Affidavit of Official Court Reporter, filed April 30, 2025, by Kit Vickery in Pottawatomie County, confirms that the audio recording from the January 15, 2025, hearing was unusable. According to the affidavit, the court’s bench Zoom recording was only 15 minutes long, lacked courtroom-quality audio, and did not contain an official record suitable for transcription — directly violating Oklahoma Supreme Court Rule 1.30, which mandates that the trial court clerk must maintain a complete and accurate record of all proceedings. (See OK Sup. Ct. R. 1.30, 12 O.S. Ch. 15, App. 1).
But that’s not all — the affidavit discloses that the judge presiding over the hearing, Judge Duel, came to the courthouse that day for the Reed matter. Despite this, no certified transcript exists, and the official record is effectively lost — a clear obstruction of Reed’s ability to seek appellate review as guaranteed by 14th Amendment due process and well-established precedent that requires a record for meaningful appellate scrutiny (see Mayer v. City of Chicago, 404 U.S. 189 (1971)).
This marks the second time transcripts critical to Reed’s custody case have disappeared or been rendered inaccessible — a pattern that can no longer be chalked up to coincidence.
“This is the playbook of a broken system: obstruct justice, erase the record, silence the truth,” said a legal advocate familiar with the case. “This is what fraud upon the court looks like.”
Reed has been fighting not just for custody but for the safety of his child amid mounting evidence of abuse and systemic bias in favor of the opposing party. The first missing transcript already crippled his ability to file appeals and demonstrate constitutional violations of due process and parental rights protected under Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000). This second disappearance escalates the stakes: it is now being cited as a direct violation of the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), 42 U.S.C. § 5106a, which imposes state-level duties to maintain accurate documentation in abuse proceedings.
And it’s not just Reed’s money that’s been wasted — it’s his rights, his evidence, and his child’s welfare that hang in the balance.
“This was a hearing where I tried to protect my child. I paid for the transcript. And now they’re telling me it never existed? How many times can a court lose its own record before someone gets held accountable?” said Reed in a public statement.
The loss of a second transcript in the same case, especially after a litigant paid for it, could open the door to civil liability for unjust enrichment and negligence, and potentially a criminal inquiry for evidence tampering. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1519, it is a federal felony to knowingly alter, destroy, conceal, or falsify any record with the intent to obstruct or influence an investigation or proper administration of any matter within federal jurisdiction. That includes family court cases involving federal child protection funds and ICWA compliance where applicable.
Reed’s legal team is now preparing an emergency motion demanding immediate court certification of the missing transcript, a full refund of funds paid under unjust enrichment principles, and formal referral to the Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector, the Judicial Ethics Advisory Panel, and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
“If there is no record, there is no justice. And if this keeps happening, then it’s not an error — it’s policy,” said a spokesperson from a parental rights coalition. “This is how children get silenced and abusers protected.”
As this disturbing pattern continues, families across Oklahoma are left asking: How many more transcripts must vanish before accountability begins?
Legal Ramifications Now Include:
- Obstruction of justice
- Fraud upon the court
- Violation of parental due process rights (Troxel v. Granville)
- Failure to maintain an accurate record of judicial proceedings (OK Sup. Ct. Rule 1.30)
- Potential civil liability for unjust enrichment and denial of services
- Violation of 42 U.S.C. § 5106a (CAPTA)
More to come. This case is just revealing itself. It’s only now being documented—for the record, and for the courts. If you have also been victimized by these actors or have information to share, we want to hear from you.
© 2025 The Oklahoma Post |
(Writing by Millstone Press of Oklahoma; Editing by Robbie Robertson)
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