OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) –June 17, 2025
The allegations regarding Collins, Zorn & Wagner and related public officials described in this article are taken directly from witness testimony, public court records, and Plaintiff’s federal complaint in Moyer v. Murray, Case No. 5:25-cv-00429. The law firm has not been criminally charged. All statements are allegations unless otherwise indicated by official court findings.
In Oklahoma, ordinary families fighting city hall often expect uphill battles. But a newly surfaced court transcript — now publicly cited in Moyer v. Murray — pulls back the curtain on what plaintiffs and whistleblowers say is not just an uphill fight, but a rigged mountain.
At the heart of the controversy: how the City of Stillwater, its police department, and the high-dollar defense firm Collins Zorn & Wagner (CZW Law) deploy procedural tricks to block victims’ claims before a single shred of evidence ever reaches a jury. The transcript comes from a Supreme Court Referee hearing featuring local resident Darrell Dougherty, who says the City’s lawyers misused a “writ of prohibition” to freeze a lower court judge’s authority after losing a dismissal motion.
Darrell Dougherty is the plaintiff in Payne County District Court Case No. CJ-2024-472, a civil negligence and tort action filed against the City of Stillwater and related officials, arising from a September 6, 2023 collision at J&J Superwash LLC involving a hit-and-run driver. Mr. Dougherty alleges that the Stillwater Police Department repeatedly failed to properly investigate, document, and enforce the law regarding multiple related incidents spanning several years, resulting in damages to his business and personal safety. When the District Court (Judge Jason Reese) denied the City’s motion to dismiss based on Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act immunities, the City of Stillwater, represented by Collins, Zorn & Wagner, filed an extraordinary writ of prohibition at the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Referee Hearing held May 11, 2025) seeking to block the case from proceeding to jury trial, which Mr. Dougherty contends is part of a broader pattern of obstruction and misuse of procedural defenses to prevent accountability for municipal negligence and civil rights violations.
The same tactic, witnesses say, appears repeatedly in other local cases; pointing to a troubling pattern.
Collins, Zorn & Wagner, P.C. (“CZW Law”) is a private Oklahoma law firm that routinely serves as defense counsel for multiple cities, counties, law enforcement agencies, school districts, and public officials across the State of Oklahoma. Municipalities such as the City of Stillwater do not typically maintain in-house civil litigation teams for high-risk tort or civil rights claims; instead, they participate in insurance pools, like the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG), which in turn assigns panel firms such as CZW to handle lawsuits brought against public entities and employees. This arrangement allows CZW to act as the centralized legal shield for misconduct allegations against local governments, police departments, and other public bodies, paid through public funds and taxpayer-financed insurance premiums.
As evidenced in Darrell Dougherty’s ongoing state case, Payne County District Court Case No. CJ-2024-472, and the related Supreme Court Referee Hearing transcript dated May 11, 2025, CZW is alleged to repeatedly abuse this position by manufacturing defenses not grounded in fact, obstructing valid claims through procedural maneuvers, and misusing extraordinary writs to override judicial discretion after losing routine motions. These same tactics appear in Moyer v. Murray and in other witnesses’ sworn accounts, indicating a deliberate pattern and practice whereby CZW systematically weaponizes state immunity provisions and frivolous litigation strategies to suppress civil rights claims and insulate municipal wrongdoing from jury review. Plaintiff asserts that this constitutes an unlawful scheme — a continuing enterprise designed to defraud the public of honest legal services, obstruct justice, and protect corrupt local actors at the expense of victims’ constitutional rights, in violation of both Oklahoma law and the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
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The Laws at Stake
Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act (OGTCA)
State law allows citizens to sue cities for wrongful acts. But the City’s lawyers claim near-total immunity. Dougherty and others argue this misreads the law: the OGTCA was never meant to be a blanket shield when bad faith or fraud are at play.
42 U.S.C. § 1983 — Federal Civil Rights
This law guarantees every American a chance to have their day in court. Using procedural trickery to bury the facts or block a jury undermines that fundamental right.
18 U.S.C. § 1503 — Obstruction of Justice
Federal law makes it a crime to “corruptly” impede court proceedings. Filing a writ just to halt a judge — especially after losing a motion — can cross that line.
18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, 1346 — Mail, Wire & Honest Services Fraud
If a law firm bills taxpayers for knowingly bogus filings, that’s fraud — plain and simple.
18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1962 — RICO
Multiple acts of obstruction and fraud — coordinated and repeated — can meet the standard for civil racketeering.
Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct
Lawyers must tell the truth to courts and avoid frivolous claims. Dougherty’s testimony suggests these duties were not met.
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The Smoking Gun: Darrell Dougherty’s Testimony
In the May 11th Referee hearing, Dougherty described how the city’s lawyers systematically shut down cases before any facts can be heard:
File a motion to dismiss on immunity grounds.
If that fails, run to the Oklahoma Supreme Court with a writ of prohibition — misusing it as an illegal appeal.
This halts the local trial judge indefinitely, ensuring no jury ever sees evidence.
Dougherty told the Referee under oath:
“They either admit they’re using the writ of prohibition as an appeal, which is strictly prohibited… they’re trying to deceive the Supreme Court… that’s not what writ of prohibition is for.”
He added:
“We have a right to a jury trial. Anything that any branch of government does to impede that is a violation of our constitutional rights.”
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A Broader Pattern
What makes this more than just one man’s fight is how often the same maneuver appears in unrelated cases:
• Families say they’ve been forced to fight off sham dismissals and appeals while legal costs balloon.
• Witnesses claim CZW Law and local officials know these filings are baseless but pursue them anyway to exhaust plaintiffs and drain public funds.
• Darrell Dougherty pointed to past audits and DA reviews labeling these tactics as frivolous — yet the pattern persists.
Legal experts point out that repeated misuse of litigation procedures, especially when taxpayers foot the bill, can amount to fraud and a racketeering “enterprise” under federal law.
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Why It Matters
This isn’t just about technical court filings — it’s about whether ordinary Oklahomans have a fair shot at justice. If the allegations hold true, it means:
• Taxpayers are unknowingly funding a pattern of bad faith legal warfare.
• Local judges are stripped of their authority by procedural tricks.
• Victims of government misconduct are denied their day in court.
Darrell Dougherty’s testimony — now part of public record — shows what happens when the scales of justice are tilted by power and insider law firms. As he put it, plainly:
“It’s hard to litigate against a manufactured claim we didn’t create … We have a right to a jury trial.”
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A Constitutional Line in the Sand
Under both the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions, the right to due process is non-negotiable. Whether for a multi-million-dollar civil rights claim or a simple dispute with a city department, the principle is the same: let the facts see daylight.
When powerful local actors collude to keep them hidden, the only people who win are the lawyers cashing the checks — and the taxpayers lose twice.
Law/Provision
How it Applies
Okla. Govt. Tort Claims Act (51 O.S. § 151 et seq.)
City wrongly claims blanket immunity to dismiss valid claims outside scope of statutory exceptions — violates the Act’s good faith intent.
42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Federal Civil Rights)
Using manufactured defenses to obstruct access to jury trial infringes Due Process and First Amendment Right to Petition.
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (Obstruction)
Using a writ as a false appeal to block a judge and destroy jurisdiction — obstructs judicial process.
18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, 1346 (Mail, Wire & Honest Services Fraud)
If Collins Zorn & Wagner bills taxpayers while misrepresenting case posture or fabricating arguments — classic fraud.
18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1962 (RICO)
Multiple predicate acts (obstruction, fraud, honest services deprivation) with pattern and continuity across cases supports a civil RICO claim.
Okla. Rules of Prof’l Conduct (ORPC)
Violates duties of candor to the tribunal (Rule 3.3), meritorious claims and contentions (Rule 3.1), and prohibition on frivolous filings.
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LOCAL TEAM. WORLD CLASS RESULTS.
Christopher J. Collins
FOUNDER, SHAREHOLDER & PRESIDENT
Christopher J. Collins is a founder and shareholder and the president at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Read more…
Stephen L. Geries
SHAREHOLDER & DIRECTOR
Stephen L Geries is a shareholder and director at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Steve has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell…read more.
Andy A. Artus
SHAREHOLDER & DIRECTOR
Andy Artus is a shareholder and director at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Andy has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell…read more.
Timothy E. Lurtz
DIRECTOR
Timothy E. Lurtz is a director at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. He joined the firm in 2005 and has a broad practice in a variety…read more.
Wellon B. Poe
SHAREHOLDER & DIRECTOR
Wellon B. Poe is a shareholder and director at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Wellon joined the firm in 2011 and has a broad practice…read more.
Jordan L. Miller
DIRECTOR
Before joining the firm in 2012, Jordan served as a law clerk for Justice Susan Owens on the Washington State Supreme Court…read more.
W.R. Moon, Jr.
DIRECTOR
W.R. Moon Jr. is a director at Collins, Zorn & Wagner who joined the firm in 2020. His areas of expertise include the defense of counties… read more.
Jamison C. Whitson
ASSOCIATE
Jamison joined the firm in 2007. His practice focuses on a variety of areas, including appellate practice, general civil litigation…read more.
Alison B. Levine
ASSOCIATE
Alison B. Levine is an associate with Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Alison joined the firm in 2015… read more.
Stacey H. Felkner
OF COUNSEL
Stacey Haws Felkner is Of Counsel at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. She has been in private practice since 1991, and joined the firm in 2017…read more.
Stephen R. Palmer
ASSOCIATE
Stephen R. Palmer is an associate with Collins, Zorn & Wagner. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany. The primary focus of Steve’s practice is in the areas of insurance defense, auto and truck…read more.
Howard T. Morrow
ASSOCIATE
Howard T. Morrow is an associate with Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Howard joined the firm in 2022…. read more.
Scott R. Eudey
ASSOCIATE
Scott R. Eudey is an associate with Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Scott joined the firm in 2023…. read more.
Rebecca A. Boyer
ASSOCIATE
Rebecca A. Boyer is an associate with Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Rebecca joined the firm in 2023…. read more.
Cael M. Staton
ASSOCIATE
Cael M. Staton is an associate at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Cael joined the firm in 2023…. read more.
Montana M. Williams
ASSOCIATE
Montana M. Williams is an associate at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Montana joined the firm in 2024…. read more.
Christopher N. Davis
ASSOCIATE
Christopher N. Davis is an associate at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Christopher joined the firm in 2024…. read more.
Clark W. Crapster
ASSOCIATE
Clark W. Crapster is an associate at Collins, Zorn & Wagner. Clark joined the firm in 2025…. read more.
Stay with The Oklahoma Post as we follow every affidavit, every transcript, and every ruling. Because when local governments treat the court system like a game, it’s the people who pay the price — and the truth that pays the tab.
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© 2025 The Oklahoma Post | By Robbie Robertson
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.
(Writing by DJ Vance; Editing by Robbie Robertson)
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