A Republican state lawmaker in Oklahoma pleaded guilty to domestic violence related charges after he tried to gouge out his wife’s eyes and ran his daughter and a relative off the road.
Rep. Ty Burns pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of domestic abuse and two misdemeanor counts of assault relating to two separate domestic violence incidents in November 2024 and April 2025, according to Oklahoma Voice.
In the November 2024 incident, Burns’ wife said he “forcefully tried to gouge her eye out with his finger,” breaking a blood vessel after he became angry at her for making plans with friends.
The April incident began when Burns got physical with his wife in their home after accusing her of allowing their 16-year-old daughter to drink.
His wife told a female relative who was there at the time to take the children and leave. Court records say that when Burns’ 16-year-old daughter entered the relative’s van the lawmaker began shaking and pushing the vehicle and yelling, “Get the f*ck out of here. I hate you. You are the cause of all these problems.”
Burns followed the relative’s vehicle with his truck and forced it off the road into a ditch injuring his daughter and the relative.
Burns pleaded guilty Thursday. He received one-year suspended sentence and an order to attend counseling as well as complete a Batterers Intervention Program.
In a statement Burns, a veteran of the Oklahoma National Guard, blamed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for his behavior. He is resisting calls to resign, including from the state’s Republican governor, but will step down from leadership roles on committees.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and have started a year-long batterers intervention program and am getting treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and learning how to deal with past experiences in a more healthy manner,” Burns said in his statement after pleading guilty.
He continued: “I know I must do better for myself and my family. I deeply regret what occurred and am prepared to be held accountable for my actions. I am stepping down from my position as chair of the Appropriations and Budget Finance Subcommittee so I can focus on my family and serving my constituents.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office also released a statement defending Burns’ lenient sentence after criticism.
“If you do not like the fact that Rep. Burns was ‘only’ charged with a misdemeanor, then petition your legislator and the Governor to change the law. There was no legitimate justification for a felony charge in this case under current Oklahoma law,” Drummond’s office said.
“As I said in my statement announcing his conviction, this is a very serious offense. The conviction means that any further incidents are eligible for felony charges. Rep. Burns has taken responsibility for his actions and has received the strongest punishment possible for a first-time offender with a clean record,” the statement continued.
UPDATE: Burns announced his resignation on Saturday.
“It is in the best interest of the people I serve in House District 35 and, most importantly, my family to step down from my position,” Burns, wrote in a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). “I take full responsibility for my actions and am going to counseling with my family. Although not an excuse for my actions, I am receiving intensive treatment for issues from military service that I have long ignored as a problem.”
The resignation will become effective on October 1.
