OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — A federal appeals court has rejected an Oklahoma inmate’s request to challenge his return from Kentucky to serve multiple life sentences.
Michael St. Clair was convicted of murder in Oklahoma but escaped before sentencing. While on the run, he committed more crimes in Kentucky and was sentenced to death there.
In 1995, Oklahoma and Kentucky governors signed an agreement stating that St. Clair would only be returned to Oklahoma if he was not sentenced to death. After his death sentences in Kentucky were later reduced, he was sent back to Oklahoma in 2018 to serve four consecutive life terms.
In 2023, St. Clair filed a federal petition claiming that his return violated the states’ agreement and his constitutional rights. A federal judge dismissed the case, saying he had missed the one-year deadline to file.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, ruling that confusion about legal procedures or attorney mistakes did not excuse the delay. The case is now closed.
