A former Oklahoma City police officer who was found guilty of raping more than a dozen women while on duty was sentenced to 263 years in prison on Thursday.
According to NBC's Oklahoma City station KFOR, a judge sentenced Daniel Holtzclaw, 29, to 263 years in prison.
In December, a jury convicted Holtzclaw of 18 counts of sexual battery, rape and other offenses. He was acquitted on 18 other counts.
According to Oklahoma state court records, Holtzclaw’s attorney Scott Adams filed a motion for a new trial — just one day before a judge would officially sentence him. The judge at today's sentencing hearing denied that motion.
Adams claimed that his client was denied a fair trial because "the government made deliberate discovery violations and misrepresentations, undermining confidence in the verdict," according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
In the filing, Adams alleged that a Facebook post by a police detective referenced evidence that was “withheld from the defense by the government.”
During Holtzclaw’s trial, thirteen women took the stand and testified that the former cop had coerced them into having sex after threatening to arrest them for possessing drug paraphernalia or on outstanding warrants.
All of Holtzclaw’s victims were black women that he stopped while on patrol.
In a statement released after Holtzclaw’s guilty verdict in December, the Oklahoma City Police Department said it was "pleased with the jury’s decision."
"It was a long and difficult trial and deliberation process for all involved. It is obvious the jury took their responsibilities very seriously and considered every piece of evidence presented to them," the statement read.
