ERICA LASHON HARRISON, Petitioner,
v.
THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, Respondent.
ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS AND DIRECTING THAT APPEAL PROCEED AS A POST-CONVICTION APPEAL
¶1 On September 8, 2025, Petitioner, through counsel, filed with the Clerk of this Court a copy of her Notice of Intent to Appeal; Preparation of Appeal Record Court; and Reporter's Acknowledgement; and in the Alternative, Notice of Post-Conviction Appeal From Final Order of the District Court which was filed with the clerk of the trial court on the same day, in Tulsa County District Court Case No. CF-2013-1446. 1 This notice declared Petitioner's intent to appeal a trial court order, pronounced in open court on August 29, 2025, that denied Petitioner's application for resentencing pursuant to the Oklahoma Survivors' Act. See 22 O.S.Supp.2024, §§ 1090.4-1090.5. The trial court's written findings of fact and conclusions of law were filed in the trial court on October 30, 2025. The Clerk of this Court assigned this appeal this Court's Case No. F-2025-7408. On March 20, 2026, the State filed its State of Oklahoma's Motion to Dismiss Appeal or, Alternatively, to Convert it into a Postconviction Appeal. On April 9, 2026, Petitioner filed Appellant's Response to State of Oklahoma's Motion to Dismiss Appeal or, Alternatively, to Convert it into a Postconviction. In its motion, the State maintains that the appeal to this Court of an order denying resentencing to individuals eligible pursuant to Section 1090.4 of the Survivors' Act must be taken in accordance with 22 O.S.2021, § 1087 and the provisions governing an appeal to this Court under the Uniform Post-Conviction Procedure Act. We agree.
¶2 Appeals taken pursuant to 22 O.S.Supp.2024, § 1090.5(J)((1)-(2) by individuals eligible to seek resentencing pursuant to Section 1090.4 must be taken as post-conviction appeals pursuant to 22 O.S.2021, § 1087. 2 These proceedings take place "[w]here a [trial] court has imposed a criminal judgment and sentence upon a defendant ... and the defendant is serving the sentence in the custody of the Department of Corrections." 22 O.S.Supp.2024, § 1090.4. 3 The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in Pybas v. Crites that an appeal from an order granting or denying resentencing, to an individual eligible pursuant to Section 1090.4 of the Survivors' Act, should be considered a post-conviction proceeding. 4 Pybas v. Crites, 2025 OK 63, ¶ 12, 578 P.3d 1209, 1213, as corrected (Oct. 9, 2025).
¶3 The State's motion to dismiss Petitioner's appeal is DENIED and the parties' alternative requests that this appeal be allowed to proceed as a post-conviction appeal is GRANTED. The Clerk of this Court is directed to reassign this appeal this Court's Case No. PC-2025-708.
¶4 IT IS SO ORDERED.
¶5 WITNESS OUR HANDS AND THE SEAL OF THIS COURT this 25th day of June, 2026.
/s/________________________________________________
GARY L. LUMPKIN, Presiding Judge
/s/________________________________________________
WILLIAM J. MUSSEMAN, Vice Presiding Judge
/s/________________________________________________
DAVID B. LEWIS, Judge
/s/________________________________________________
ROBERT L. HUDSON, Judge
/s/________________________________________________
SCOTT ROWLAND, Judge
ATTEST:
/s/_____________________
Clerk
FOOTNOTES
1 The record illustrates that Petitioner was unsure whether this appeal was properly filed as a direct appeal or a post-conviction appeal. In an abundance of caution, Petitioner's notice included both a notice of intent to appeal and designation of record pursuant to this Court's Rule 2.5(B) for regular direct appeals as well as a notice of post-conviction appeal pursuant to this Court's Rule 5.2(C)(6) for post-conviction appeals.
2 In both cases seeking resentencing pursuant to Section 1090.3 and Section 1090.4, initial orders made by trial courts pursuant to the Survivors' Act, 22 O.S.Supp.2024, §§ 1090.5 (C)(2) & (G)(1), are not appealable. Watson v. State, 2025 OK CR 21, ¶ 4, 580 P.3d 272, 273 ("The district court determinations of eligibility for applying for resentencing are not appealable because the Act has specified those determinations are 'without prejudice,' meaning a defendant can continue to obtain relevant information and re-apply without being barred by the district court's previous denial of the right to apply or to have a hearing on the application.")
3 Requests for resentencing pursuant to the Oklahoma Survivors' Act made prior to the imposition of judgment and sentence and "[d]uring a hearing to ... [s]entence a person, or [a]ccept a plea of guilty" are made pursuant to 22 O.S.Supp.2024, § 1090.3.
4 Judgment and sentence were imposed in this case on November 10, 2009, and the incarcerated petitioner applied for resentencing on December 2, 2024.
