Judge Stephen Kistler granted a new date for a former Stillwater Police Department school resource officer’s arraignment during a court date on Friday.
Kistler scheduled the new date for 1:30 p.m. on March 12.
Louis Alvie “Buck” Morris, 48, was charged with three counts of inappropriate acts with a child less than 16 years old and two counts of rape by instrumentation on June 16, according to court documents. All five counts are felony offenses.
If convicted on all five counts, Morris could spend life in prison without parole, according to the documents.
“Eventually the judge will get the case set for a jury trial,” said Robert Hudson, Payne County district attorney, in a phone interview Thursday.
Morris was released on bond in June, according to court documents.
Morris’ counsel couldn’t be reached for comment.
On May 20, a Stillwater citizen reported that Morris was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl, according to a June 16, Stillwater police press release.
Two investigators were assigned to the case and on June 1 they found evidence that Morris might have broken the law.
That day, Stillwater Chief of Police, Norman McNickle, asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to help Stillwater police investigate, according to the press release.
Morris was suspended June 2, when investigators found cause that he could have broken the law, according to the press release.
Morris worked as a Stillwater police officer for 17 years, according to the press release.
The Stillwater Police Department declined to comment further on the case.
The girl’s father said he allowed his daughter and Morris to spend time together and thought that he could trust Morris because he was a police officer, according to the affidavit.
Morris met the girl at Stillwater Junior High School where he worked, according to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation affidavit.
“We’re really not changing anything (about our policies),” said Ann Caine, Stillwater Public Schools superintendent. “Our counselors are really great about telling the kids what is appropriate behavior and what’s not appropriate behavior. We weren’t aware of what was going on.”
After he found out he was under investigation, Morris spoke to a school resource officer who worked at another Stillwater school, according to the affidavit.
Morris said he was sorry; that he felt like he was 15 again.
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