Smolen Law

06/17/2026

The First Amendment isn’t about protecting popular opinions. It’s about protecting everyone’s right to speak freely. When someone tries to silence speech simply because they don’t like the message, that’s censorship. Our constitutional rights only matter if we’re willing to defend them for everyone.

– Don Smolen

Smolen

06/16/2026

🚨Oklahoma! Please Go Vote 🗳️🇺🇸

06/15/2026

What is the point of calling 911 if no one is going to protect you? Our client called police because she feared for her safety. Officers responded and left. After they left, her ex-boyfriend allegedly strangled and r***d her. He was later convicted.

No one should be ignored when they ask for help. If this happened to you or someone you love, call Smolen Law. We believe those entrusted to protect the public should be held accountable when they fail to do so.

06/11/2026

Congrats to Kimberly Arland on her first settlement as a new Associate Attorney. She’s doing an incredible job here at the Alpha Firm! Keep it up, Kimberly!!!

06/09/2026

30 pepper balls. 126 ounces. That is what correctional officers deployed while Dustin Patterson was being strangled inside his cell. What does it say about a prison when the response to a man being strangled is more spray, more commands, and nearly 45 minutes of waiting outside the door?

People in prison are still people. They still have civil rights. A prison sentence should not become a death sentence. If your loved one was seriously harmed or died in custody, contact Smolen Law.

06/05/2026

When one facility is connected to this many deaths, families deserve answers. Smolen Law represents families in serious civil rights, wrongful death, and prison negligence cases involving Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville and other Oklahoma institutions.

When one prison has this many deaths, the answer cannot simply be to blame the inmates. These cases raise serious questions about staffing, training, classification, emergency response, reaction time, leadership, and accountability.

If your loved one was seriously injured or died while in custody, you may have questions about what really happened and whether their rights were violated.

06/03/2026

21 homicides in four years at one Oklahoma prison. When one facility is connected to that many deaths, families deserve answers. Smolen Law represents families in serious civil rights, wrongful death, and prison negligence cases involving Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville and other Oklahoma institutions.

These cases raise serious questions about staffing, training, classification, supervision, emergency response, leadership, and accountability. People in custody are still human beings, and correctional officers deserve to work in a facility that is properly staffed, trained, and prepared to protect them.

If your loved one was seriously injured or died while in custody, you may have questions about what really happened and whether their rights were violated.

Smolen Law, led by Donald E. Smolen II, helps families investigate these cases and fight for accountability.

05/29/2026

Dustin Patterson was strangled by his cellmate inside Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville, Oklahoma. According to The Oklahoman, officers remained outside the cell for approximately 45 minutes while using pepper spray and pepper balls before entering. By the time they opened the door, Dustin was unresponsive.

This case is part of a larger concern surrounding Davis Correctional Facility, where The Oklahoman reported 21 homicides over four years. Smolen Law, led by Donald E. Smolen II, represents families connected to multiple deaths at the facility.

05/28/2026

21 homicides in four years at one Oklahoma prison. According to reporting by The Oklahoman, Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville had 21 homicides over four years. One of those deaths was Dustin Patterson, who was strangled by his cellmate while officers stood outside the cell door for approximately 45 minutes, repeatedly using pepper spray and pepper balls from outside the cell. By the time officers entered, Dustin was unresponsive.

Smolen Law, led by Donald E. Smolen, II, represents families connected to multiple deaths at this facility, including Dustin Patterson, correctional officer Alan Jay Hershberger, and Brantley Avallone.

The state has since moved maximum-security inmates out of the facility, but that does not answer every question. These cases also raise serious concerns about staffing, training, emergency response, reaction time, and accountability.

A prison should not become a death sentence. Families deserve answers. Read the full article here:

Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville, Oklahoma, has been tied to years of violence, deaths, lawsuits, and serious questions about prison safety. According to The Oklahoman, the facility had 21 homicides over four years. One of those deaths was, Dustin James Patterson, a 27-year-old inmate who....

05/27/2026

🚨 video footage shows officers using spray, pepper balls, and commands, but waiting approximately 45 minutes before entering. By then, Dustin was unresponsive.

Smolen Law, led by Donald E. Smolen II, represents families connected to multiple deaths at this same facility, including Dustin Patterson, correctional officer Alan Hershberger, and Brantley Avallone.

Moving maximum-security inmates out may be part of the state’s response, but it does not answer the bigger question: why did so many people die before major changes were made?

A prison sentence should not become a death sentence. A correctional officer should not lose his life in a facility that failed to keep him safe. Families deserve answers, and accountability matters.