The Norman Transcript

Headlines

Discussion

May 23, 2012

County won’t get district judge post

By Mick Hinton The Norman Transcript

OKLAHOMA CITY — Cleveland County won’t be getting another district court judge, at least during this legislative session, Rep. Aaron Stiles said Tuesday.

“The bill is dead,” said Stiles, R-Norman.

Stiles said he has learned that House leadership will not support a Senate version of the bill that would require a judicial candidate to live in northern Cleveland County.

Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, has insisted that provision be included in legislation. However, House leaders say this would set a bad precedent, with senators having too much influence in selecting district judges throughout the state.

Currently, only Tulsa and Oklahoma counties select judges from sections carved out of those two counties, to reflect the minorities who live there.

Last fall, Gov. Mary Fallin did not fill a district judge vacancy in Seminole County, anticipating that the legislature would move that judge slot to Cleveland County.

Stiles said he believes the judge slot could remain vacant and possibly be authorized next session.

“The bill was right there for the taking,” Stiles said, “but politics and personalities at the capitol got involved.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Taylor and Courts Administrator Mike Evans had encouraged the legislature to move the slot from Seminole County to Cleveland County, where caseloads are much higher.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Headlines
  • Severe Weather Plaza Towers teacher’s aide recounts twister

    When the tornado siren sounded at Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore on Monday afternoon, Maylene Sorrels had one reaction: protect her students....

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • Tornado_Search_&_Rescue_1_BV Officials vow not to quit looking until everyone is found

    The tornado that killed 24 people and injured at least 100 others in the Moore and Oklahoma City area cut a17 mile long path that started in Newcastle and ended at Lake Stanley Draper. Nine of the dead are children....

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • First victim identified

    MOORE — The first victim of Moore’s tornado was identified by family as 9-year-old Janae Hornsby, a Plaza Towers Elementary student, according to a local news station....

    May 22, 2013

  • P1013515 Norman church serves storm victims

    Journey Church was humming with activity Tuesday morning as hundreds of volunteers worked to organize donated goods for the victims of Monday’s tornado in Moore....

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • 20130521_mooretornado4 Joplin pays it forward to Moore following Monday twister

    MOORE — Joplin is paying it forward. The day before the two-year anniversary of an EF-5 leveling one-third of Joplin, pastors from Ignite Church responded to Moore, where an EF-5 spent 40 minutes on the ground....

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • 2 arrested for looting in damaged Moore

    Police arrested two men on looting complaints Tuesday after homeowners saw the men and alerted authorities, said Moore Police Department spokesman Jeremy Lewis....

    May 22, 2013

  • City awarded communities incentive grant

    The city of Norman was one of 21 cities recently awarded a Healthy Communities Incentive Grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust....

    May 22, 2013

  • little axe 1 Little Axe seniors celebrate graduation

    Family, friends and faculty set aside grief and concern for Sunday’s and Monday’s tornado devastation Tuesday evening and celebrated the graduation of the Little Axe High School class of 2013....

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • County crews will assess property damages

    The Cleveland County assessor expects that the number of homes destroyed by Monday’s tornado will exceed the total from the May 1999 tornado that devoured much Moore....

    May 22, 2013

  • Through the field of wreckage

    Again, it was Moore. For the third time in less than 15 years, residents of this city of about 60,000 must mourn their dead, help the living and pick up the pieces of shattered lives that now lay in a field of wreckage....

    May 22, 2013